


A Sinner's Second Chance

by BeautyIsInTheBookshelves



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: Alec Lightwood Deserves Nice Things, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Beauty and the Beast Fusion, Alternate Universe - Dark, Alternate Universe - Mob, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Beauty and the Beast Elements, Bottom Magnus Bane, Brutal Murder, Child Murder, Danger, Dark Alec Lightwood, Dark Character, Dark Jace Wayland, Dark Past, Dom Alec Lightwood, Dom/sub, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Falling In Love, Hurt Alec Lightwood, Hurt Magnus Bane, Injury Recovery, Jace Wayland is a Lightwood, Killing, Light BDSM, M/M, Magnus Bane Deserves Nice Things, Major Character Injury, Mob Boss Alec Lightwood, Murder, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Possessive Alec Lightwood, Protective Alec Lightwood, Protective Jace Wayland, Sub Magnus Bane, Tags May Change, Top Alec Lightwood, Writer Magnus Bane
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-22
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:06:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 50
Words: 151,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22720684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeautyIsInTheBookshelves/pseuds/BeautyIsInTheBookshelves
Summary: Alec Lightwood. Everyone knows the name. He's the heinous mob leader that runs his city ruthlessly. He has no love in his heart after his terrible bringing up into the world. He's digging himself a grave from how hard and vindictive he is about his work. The only thing that could help him is love. But the only love he has is for his siblings and his mother.It's what he needs to save him. True love from another man. But who could love a literal killer? Well, someone does come.When Alec's subordinates accidentally kidnap the wrong person, a broken down teacher and writer named Magnus, Alec can't let him leave. Not only because he's injured gruesomely, but because Magnus is more than just some teacher. Apparently, he is a huge playing card in the life of the cabals.The more that the two spent together, the more that they realize that there is so many things about each other that they can solve. That they have in common. And now that they have come together, they don't want to let go.🥀
Relationships: Alec Lightwood & Isabelle Lightwood, Alec Lightwood & Isabelle Lightwood & Jace Wayland, Alec Lightwood & Jace Wayland, Alec Lightwood & Maryse Lightwood, Asmodeus & Magnus Bane, Clary Fray/Jace Wayland, Helen Blackthorn/Aline Penhallow, Luke Garroway/Maryse Lightwood, Magnus Bane & Clary Fray, Magnus Bane & Simon Lewis, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Magnus Bane/Jonathan Christopher Morgenstern | Sebastian Verlac, Simon Lewis/Isabelle Lightwood
Comments: 913
Kudos: 1157





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have had this work in my WIP Google Doc and I wanted to post it as soon as possible before I have to continue doing my SAT prep.
> 
> So I hope that you'll enjoy it. This is one that I have a whole bulletin board for with red rope to show myself what each thing means. It's a darker tale so... fair warning.
> 
> Also, since I am a student and taking care of my student duties, I have no clue when this update. But it's coming, fair warning for that though. Patience is a virtue.
> 
> Enjoy! 😊❤

New York City isn’t run by the local government. Or any kind of government for that matter. It isn’t run by the mayor or taken care of by government officials. Not overseen by any senator. No. Not at all. That’s what people on the outside believe. That’s what people who probably don't know the city. For tourists or people who live in Jersey. Close. But not close enough to know. But if you have lived in the city for long, if you know who really runs it.

The ruthless and dark, morbid leaders of the city of New York. The Lightwoods. Their cabal ran the city of New York. And if anyone lived inside of the city, they knew the story behind the mafia. They knew the story of the leader.

They knew how he came to be.

Many years ago, the leader of the mafia met a woman. He fell for her and asked her to be his mob wife. The queen of his cabal. In return, she gave him three children. The eldest was assumed to become the next leader. But he didn’t want to be. He dreamed of a life outside of killings and threats. His father wasn't happy about that. At all. So when he turned twelve, his father did what he thought necessary. And he shot and killed his youngest brother. Right in front of him.

No one was able to save the youngest Lightwood. He bled out instantly but died in a flash. The eldest son was horrified and furious. He killed his father. His first killing. And he did it ruthlessly. He held his father down and stabbed him in the eyes and face until he was no longer recognizable. But he had no choice but to take over the mafia after that point. He had to. To provide for his mother and sister.

And he wasn’t the same after that. The eldest became cold. He was heartless. Working on his job as a leader. Working in his city. The boy grew into a man. Just as heartless as before. And his heartlessness became his downfall. As a leader. As a person. As a brother. With no love in his heart, how could he truly become a leader of the Lightwood cabal? Become a true person on the outside world? How could he be able to rule when his hands spoke before his heart? Without love, he was set up for downfall.

But he could never love anyone and have then taken away from him. And who could ever love someone like him?

* * *

The slamming off a door was always a noise that Magnus had heard. For almost half of his life. It was him either slamming the door, hearing the door slam or having the door slam in his own face. It was something almost that was desensitized to him. The sound stopped being shocking and soon became a bit inconvenient in a sense. But it was different when he was the one doing it. Either slamming it opened or slamming it closed, it didn't affect him in the shocked or sad way that the doors would slam in his direction. Well, that's what it used to be.

It wasn't emotion before. When he did it. But a line had been crossed. A line that he thought that would never be crossed. A line that Magnus had believed that for most of his life didn't even exist. Until today. Not everything was different. Now his life was different now that hurdles had been jumped over this invisible line in his life. He wiped his eyes angrily. Trying so hard to keep his tears in his eyes. He didn't want to cry. He had spent so many years crying. He had spent so many nights in the dark, hidden underneath his blankets as he sobbed.

Magnus bit his lip, wiping his eyes again as he slammed the door in front of him opened. His hand was pressed so hard against the wood. Almost as if it was attached. The door hit the wall opposed to it. Hard. Magnus inhaled, staring down at the person opposite to him. The person standing there jumped. He looked over at him, wiping his tears with the sleeve of his jacket.

"You promised." he gasped, looking over.

The man slowly looked down. He exhaled through his nose, pressing his fingertips against the wooden desk in front of him. "Son I-"

"You promised me." Magnus said, cutting him off. "For once... in your life, you promised me that you would be there. That you would be there to help me. For once, I actually needed you. And you left me. You left me there."

Asmodeus walked over from behind the desk and to his child. "That was today... wasn't it? Oh Magnus, I-"

" 'That was today?' That was today? Seriously. Do you know how many times I have heard that? Like with my middle school dance recitals? Or my high school award ceremony? My poetry slams. My protests. My speeches. Even my college graduation you couldn't make it too. But all that can come out of your damned mouth is 'That was today?' Really?! That was all you've had to say then." Magnus yelled. "And that is all you have to say now."

"Magnus please. Listen. I-"

"You literally have no excuse that I haven't heard before from you. And of course I was so naive and forgiving to listen to you and actually understand. How stupid of me. What's wrong with me?"

Asmodeus slowly moved over, trying to press his hand against Magnus' shoulder. Magnus instantly recoiled away from the sensation of his fingers over his skin. "Magnus-"

"This was the one thing that I actually needed you to be there for. The one time that I needed you to be there. And it wasn't even for me." he said, shaking his head.

"Magnus-"

"No. Forget it. I'm sorry that I even asked. Or even got my hopes up."

He turned away from him and slowly made his way to the door. He pressed his hand against the handle, pulling it back and seeing that he had caused a dent in the wall. Just like a dent in his heart. He slowly turned away from his father and closed the door. Magnus' didn't hear any sort of attempt of chasing after. Because of course he didn't.

* * *

"That son of a bitch!"

"Simon please. Language."

"I don't care Magnus. Do you know how many fucking times I've watched him make you cry? No. That's it. I'm gonna kill that bastard!"

Magnus wiped his tears from his cheeks, taking a moment to laugh at his friend. Sweet Simon. Literally unlike any person that he's met before. "And how are you going to kill him might I ask?" he asked, humoring himself.

"Your arms are more noodlier than Spongebob's." added the girl next to him.

The tears were forgotten for just a split second so that Magnus could laugh wholeheartedly at the joke from Clary. Sweet girl with a spicy and sour interior. Loved her just as much as he loved Simon. After that second, he started to cry again. He cursed at himself. Simon fell down onto the floor next to his friend, rubbing his thigh. Clary frowned, seeing her friend like this.

Magnus covered his eyes with his fists, wiping at his eyes. They'd probably be puffy tomorrow. But that was what full coverage concealer was for. "You know... all my life I have had this... this hope that he would come around. That he would finally see me, for me. And actually take the time to be there for me. To support me. To love me. Foolish of me to even think that he loves me." he said,

"I'm sure that he does." Clary said.

"No offense my dear, but your positivity is bullshit." Magnus said. He hissed after the words came out. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

"I know you didn't. I understand."

Magnus gave her a understanding and a greatful nod. Simon scoffed once again, throwing his hands in the air in complete and utter anger and frustration. "I swear to God that I am going to murder him."

"Please don't. Your skinny ass wouldn't last about two hours in prison." Clary said.

"And you don't even believe in God." Magnus said.

"Please let me make empty threats to make you feel better. I know that I wouldn't last a round against your dad, but please. Bare with me." the pale young man.

Magnus chuckled again, wiping his nose. Simon smiled. He had succeeded half way in making him feel better. "I promised me." he said. "He promised that he would be there. To support and help."

"I'm sorry to be so blunt Mags but... he's done it before. He's going to do it again." Clary said.

"I understood that if it was about me. Like coming to my graduation." he said.

"There's no way for you to justify that!" Simon called.

"I know. I know." he responded, hugging his knees and rubbing his tears against his leggings. "It's just the little kid in me hoping for some of daddy's love. But then again... it wasn't for me. It was for something bigger than me. I assumed that he would come. I thought that coming to support the cause would-"

Magnus couldn't finish. Because he started crying again. Clary instantly moved over, hugging him in attempt to comfort. Simon exhaled. There was anger in his breath. He looked over, feeling some vibrations. He moved over, picking it up and looking down. He scoffed. "I don't understand why you haven't blocked the bastard already." he said, holding out the phone.

Magnus took it and looked down. Seeing the one picture of his dad that had. Asmodeus had looked the same for years. For when Magnus was born and to now. It was the never aging man holding his infant son in his arms. Magnus scoffed. He wondered if he was late to his own birth. He slammed the phone down, not caring that he heard it crack.

Clary sighed, hugging him once again and wiping the tears from his eyes. "Well, how did it go otherwise?" she asked.

Simon and Magnus met eyes. "It went well." he answered to him.

"We raised twenty-three thousand dollars for better education." Simon finished, very excitedly. "You should have seen Magnus up there. He was amazing." he added with his nerdy grin.

"No wonder you wanted him there. To help." she said.

Simon rolled his eyes. "It's not even like he raised Magnus! Ragnor basically did!"

"It's times that I wish that he was here with us." Magnus said, wiping his eyes. "Ugh... I'm done! I'm done with this. I'm done trying to get my hopes up around him. I hate him. I'm done."

"Good on you. Finally!" Simon cried.

The door to room opened, interrupting their moment. Magnus looked up, seeing the man entering the apartment. Clary and Simon tried to give a calm smile in hopes to calm the man down. It didn't do anything. He turned and started to storm down the hall. "I AM GOING TO FUCKING CHOP OF HIS HEAD OFF!"

"No, no, no, no!" Clary called, getting up and running over through the door.

Magnus chuckled hearing the commotion. Clary, was ever the devil's advocate. Raphael on the other hand, was the devil himself. He laughed, hearing as Clary was shoving the taller man back inside of the apartment building. Raphael was yelling protests at her, trying to convince her to allow him to go and commit murder. No dice. She shut the door and sat down against it.

Raphael huffed. He turned over to Magnus and Simon. "Has he had anything to drink?"

"No." Simon said.

"Good." he said, walking over to him and sitting down in front of him. "I knew that it was too good to be true when you said he was coming."

"I know. I know." Magnus said. "This sucks."

"I know Mags. I know." he said to him.

Simon turned over to Clary. "You can move away from the door now."

"Nope. Don't trust him."

He chuckled.

Raphael looked back at his friend. "So what are you... what are you going to do now?"

"I don't know." Magnus said, getting up finally with Raphael and Simon help. He finally moved away from his crying corner and sat down on his friend's sofa. He leaned down onto the pillows. "I thought that I had it all figured out. Now I don't know."

Raphael exhaled. "What about your book?"

"What about it?"

"Aren't you going to do something with it? You know like get it published."

"Please. How can I write a beautiful love story when I haven't been able to experience it myself." Magnus complained, leaning back down onto the pillows.

Simon sighed, feeling bad for him. He rubbed his shoulders. Clary got up from the floor and sat down next to him. "Do you want anything?"

"A better life maybe." he responded. Clary, Simon and Raphael met eyes. They exhaled. There was nothing but sympathy laying there in their pupils. "I just need to be left alone for a moment... okay?"

"Okay." Clary said.

"Anything you need buddy." Simon said to him, nodding at him.

"We're here for you." Raphael said last with a very rare grin.

The three got up and moved over to the kitchen. Magnus looked out at the window. Seeing the beautiful way that the moon illuminated the New York sky. He wasn't kidding about what he had said. He wished that he had a different life than the one that he was living now. Just something a bit different. A bit better.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the big falling out that happened with Magnus and his father, the first thing that he wants to do is distract himself and pretend he's happy.
> 
> Funnily enough, that's the last thing that he ends up doing

Coming to in a place that isn't your bed, couch or car is quite scary. It's more scary than anything. That's probably the first thing that comes to mind. Especially when you can feel the tight and rough feeling of rope curling all over your body. Restraining you. There was no point in struggling. The only movements that could be made was his head going side to side and the fruitless clenching of his fists behind his head. The hostage screamed as soon as the situation became clear to him. His screams were muffled immediately, a harsh and hard gloved hand coming over his mouth. He instantly stopped screaming, his eyes widening in fear of what would happen to him if he continued.

He was breathing heavily out of fear. He tried to turn and look at who was behind him. But the ropes that was keeping him tied prevented him from moving. His eyes turned over, hearing the sound of metal on metal. His eyes slowly started to get used to the darkness around him and he turned over, seeing a door open. His eyes widened, seeing a familiar blonde enter the room.

The blonde wiped his nose, slowly making his way over towards the prisoner. He stayed frozen, even as the hand over his mouth was removed. The blonde looked at the man, nodding. Apparently there were two men behind him, he saw only then as they left. "So... I think that from all that noise that you just made, you know why you're here." he said. "Correct?"

The man nodded, desperately. "Please. I-"

Another hand was slammed against his mouth, shutting him up again. "Ssh! Shut it!" he said. "I am pretty damned sure that you don't want to alert Lightwood. Right?"

The man eyes widened. He nodded furiously. The blonde nodded, pulling his hand away. "Please." he whispered this time. "My wife just gave birth. I need to be there for my daughter. Please."

"Your family will not at all be affected if you answer correctly." he said. "Now... someone has been bringing in some laced drugs into Brooklyn. And as you might know, one of your friends just died because of it."

The man nodded. "I didn't know it was laced. I'm sorry."

"You didn't know. So you're fine. But, I need to know where you got the drugs from. Not from us if you needed money that bad."

The man exhaled, letting out a breath that he didn't know he was holding. "Valentine... he offered me double. And my daughter was about to born. I couldn't say no."

The blonde nodded, slowly rising from his spot. "I told you that it was Morgenstern." he called out from the door.

The man's eyes widened, looking over and seeing as the door opened. He shook with fear seeing who was standing there. "L-Light-Light-"

"Morgenstern. That son of a bitch." he scoffed.

"What should we do with him?" the blonde asked, a caniving and sinister grin forming against his lips and teeth.

"PLEASE!" the man started to scream. "PLEASE DON'T KILL ME! I'M SORRY! PLEASE DON'T TAKE ME FROM MY WIFE! FROM MY DAUGHTER! PLEASE LIGHTWOOD! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY! PL-"

The blonde slapped his hand over his mouth once more, shutting him up and silencing him. He kept screaming pleas, but it was muffled. It only took a few short seconds before he started to cry from fear of death.

"You already have the death of a loved one of your hands. That's punishment for you enough. And you did it for family." he said simply from the dark. "Jace. Make sure that his family is compensated for this and that Morgenstern can't get to him."

The blonde nodded, walking behind him and starting to saw at the ropes. The man breathed out a grateful exhale.

"But." he called. "If I catch you on the street selling anything else from Morgenstern... you're dead."

The man cowered in fear, but nodded nonetheless.

* * *

Magnus awoke to the sweet smell of cinnamon and coffee. He slowly raised himself from his spot. He raised his eyebrow, noticing that he was in a bed. Not where he was before. He pulled the duvet away from his body and walked over to the living room. He was met with what he had known all of his life. Raphael in the kitchen, organizing the meal as if he was working inside of a restaurant. Clary, going around with a happy smile against her lips, cleaning up everything. Even though dust basically died on contact with how constantly she cleaned, And Simon sitting on the couch, holding a book in one hand and a cup of espresso in the other.

It was warm. Welcoming and inviting. He knew this sensation. Of being around them. They were his family. And they would always be. Simon looked up from the pages of his novel, meeting eyes with his friend. "Hey." he called.

Magnus wiped some hair out of his eyes. "Hey." he said. "Who put me to bed?"

"Take a guess." Simon said, trying to show off his guns.

"I did." Raphael added from his spot in the kitchen.

"He did."

Magnus chuckled. "If I slept in your bed, then where did you sleep?"

"On the couch." he said to him.

Magnus smiled. "Thanks."

"No problem." he said, walking over to him and holding out a plate filled with cinnamon rolls. "Hungry?"

"Thanks." he said, taking one and stuffing it inside of his cheeks.

"So, what's the plan for today?" Clary asked. "Are you going to head into work?"

Magnus shook his head, not bothering to open his mouth to answer with the delicious food in his cheeks. Simon turned over to the red head. "I think that he can take some time off."

"Considering that most children don't attend school on Saturday anyways." Magnus said, picking up another roll.

"Coffee?" Raphael offered, holding out mugs to the three.

Clary gave him a grateful nod, allowing him to pour her a small cup. "So what are you going to do today?"

"I was going to go through the city. See if I can get some writing inspiration. Maybe pick up a new book." Magnus said, sipping his hot coffee.

"What the hell? I just bought you a book to read two days ago." Simon stated.

Magnus shrugged, as if this wasn't surprising to his pal. "Two days is more than enough to read a good story. Which, by the way, thank you Simon for the book."

Simon winked at him. Raphael set down the pot of coffee and picked up his own roll. "Are you going to head home?"

Magnus rubbed the back of his neck. "Maybe. Maybe not. I love the attention that you guys give me. Why would I leave that?"

Clary chuckled. "Well... do you want us to come with you?"

"I think that I'll be alright." he said. "How about we meet up at my place after? I'll cook dinner."

"By cook do you mean order in?" Simon asked.

"Don't get snippy with me now Sharon."

"Come on!"

* * *

There was a small, quaint little bookshop that everyone in New York knew about. It was easy to miss if you weren't a local. Because it looked like any other brownstone. But inside there were wonderful shelves among shelves of books. New ones, old ones. Every book lovers dream. It was usually packed during the weekends and on holidays. But for an early Saturday morning, it was perfectly quiet. Only a few people in for a first look. It was Magnus' favorite place to go. Favorite place to be.

And all of his friends knew that that was where he would be if was upset, happy or just needed time to be alone. Even the bookshop's older, happy owner knew that. He loved Magnus so much that he constantly allowed him to enter the shop early. That was where he would be and that is where people knew he would be. The doors to the shop opened, alerting the owner. He looked up from his desk and smiled at the newcomer. "Well good morning to you young man."

The man smiled. "How are you Todd?"

"I'm doing quite well. I am bit tired, but when are people not tired." he said. "Looking for something Jonathan?"

"More like someone."

"Ah. Magnus is in the back."

He nodded, setting down a small paper bag on his desk. "Strawberry pie for you."

"You know that I'm not supposed to be eating this stuff at my age."

"But you eat it anyways."

"Touche."

Jonathan chuckled, moving through the vast array of shelves and small couches. He eyes the colorful books and their titles, the warm glow that the Sun gave off against the covers and the shelves. He moved over to the back of the store, his eyes gazing over to the man that was he looking for. Magnus. He was just seated on the ground, his back pressed up against a shelf and books surrounding him. It was almost like a wall. A protective barrier of books around him. Jonathan coughed, turning away to hide his blush.

Magnus was always beautiful. But he was even more so when he was doing something he loved. When he was teaching, reading or dancing, there was this aura that he gave off. A happy aura. One that affected Jonathan in a way that he could not describe. He slowly stepped closer, putting a sweet smile on his face. He slowly moved down onto his knees, tapping the back of the book Magnus was invested in. The shorter man, pulled the book down. But he smiled, seeing who was greeting him. "Hello Jonathan." he said.

"Hey." he called. "Good morning to you."

"And to you as well." Magnus said, placing his thumb underneath his place and closing the book.

Jonathan smiled. He moved his hand from behind his back and present Magnus with a petite bouquet of flowers. "Uh... for you." he said.

Magnus set down his book and smiled. "Baby's breath. Thank you Jonathan. I love them."

The man smiled, happy that the flowers brought a smile to his face. He wiped his nose. "Clary called me last night. She told me what happened." he said. "Sorry about that."

"Don't be. It's been like this for years. There's no need in getting my hopes up anymore." he said, setting the flowers down beside him. "So. Anyhow, what are you doing here?"

"I came here to uh... um... look for something new to read. I haven't read... since the... eight grade, but I needed something new. So, since you are the definition of a bookworm-"

"I prefer the term book _dragon_."

Jonathan chuckled. "Sure. I thought that you, oh so mighty book dragon, could help me find something."

Magnus eye's widened. Most people didn't read unless they absolutely needed to. Most didn't prefer or like to read for fun. Magnus was always happy to help someone read. He stood up from his spot and turned over to the shelf behind him. Jonathan smiled, seeing how happy and how wonderful he looked. He turned over to him, holding out a thick novel. "Here." he said. "This really good. And I know that you're not one for romance-"

"Well, I kind of am one for romance." he said, looking up at Magnus.

Magnus looked down and held out the book. Jonathan was kind. He was nice. And he had spent a lot of time with him since he was Clary's older brother. But he knew for years how Jonathan felt about him. "Jonathan I-"

"Sorry." he said instantly. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"You didn't. It's just... look I... I know that you really like me. But I don't know how I feel." he said.

"I get it. You're dealing with a lot. With your dad and your career, which speaking of... how is it coming?"

"I had to scrap my last novel idea."

"Why?"

"I don't know a thing about love. How am I supposed to write about it?"

"You slowly integrate it into your life. See what it gives you."

Magnus looked down. "Jonathan. I-"

"I did it again, didn't I? Sorry Mags." he said. "But just hear me out. Please. All I want to do is love and protect you. I want to show you the love that you deserve." Magnus moved some hair out of his face. Jonathan exhaled. "You've be neglected, ignored, heartbroken and taken advantage of. That is not what you deserve. I want to show you that, every second of every day. All I'm asking for... is just one chance."

Magnus rubbed his lips together and looked up at him. He had never seen Jonathan as anything more than a friend. He had been there for him for almost forever. He was a shoulder to cry on and a kind man all throughout the years they had known each other. But there was a hole in his heart. One that he was desperate to fill with someone's actual love and affection. "I was... I was actually going to stay at home and cook with Clary, Si and Rapha... but... maybe would you like to, well I dunno. You wanna go and get some dinner?"

"Dinner? Like... like at a restaurant?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Unless, you have plans-"

"I don't! I don't. I'd love to go to dinner with you Magnus. I... thank you." he said, taking one of his hands and kissing it. "Thank you for giving me one chance."

He nodded in response. "You're welcome."

Jonathan opened his mouth to say something more. But then he noticed how his phone started to ring. He exhaled, pulling away and wiping his nose. "Sorry." he said. "I need to go now, but... can I text you? I'll take care of everything."

Magnus smiled and nodded. "You have my number."

Jonathan smiled. He waved goodbye to him and walked out of the aisle of shelves. He pumped his fist in the air and jumped, knocking over a small display of Harry Potter plushies. He quickly moved over, setting them all back up. But he smiled to hide his embarrassment. He waved again at Magnus before taking off. Magnus leaned down and sat down against the shelf once more.

Jonathan was kind to him. He had always shown that kind of kindness to him since they were in high school. He looked over at the flowers that he had brought him. He rubbed his thumb against the petal of the tiny flower. Maybe he could be the start of the better life he's always wanted.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Going on a date with Jonathan was something that Magnus never thought that he would do. But he was desperate for a chance.
> 
> Well honey, you got it. But you know what they say. Be careful what you wish for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it's been a week and I already have 1000 hits. That is... beyond me. Like, holy cow 🐄. Thanks so much. It's only been two chapters! Two that you guys really enjoyed so far! I fully intend to keep you guys entertained with this fic. Thanks for the reviews and the bookmarks. There is so much coming that I am excited for you to read.

"A date?"

"With my brother?!"

"I'm sorry did I actually hear that right? You, Magnus flipping Bane, is going on a date?"

Magnus rolled his eyes, giggling at his friend's reaction. "Would you guys relax? It's not a date." he said.

"You sure about that?" Raphael said, sitting down next to Magnus' vanity. "Johnny has had a crush on you since high school."

"Not a crush. More like irrevocably in love." Simon said.

"He is not." Magnus and Clary said in unison.

"You literally live with the guy, and you're telling us no? Please Fray, don't try and deny it." Raphael said to Clary.

She exhaled, sitting down against Magnus' large and lavish bed. Simon turned back over to his friend. "I thought that you were just going to try and get through the day?"

"I was." Magnus said, setting down his makeup brush. "But, well, Jonathan appeared. And he gave me some flowers and he just... he was just kind. I just assumed that I would go with him. It will be nice."

"Yeah. A nice date." Clary added.

"So now you agree?" Raphael asked, quirking up his eyebrow.

"I'm just going to go okay? I don't want to be trapped here in this loft alone and wallow in my sadness. Sorry for skipping out on our plans though." he said.

"It's okay man." Simon said. "I'll just watch a movie or something with Rapha. Right?"

"I'm picking. Nothing comic book related." the spitfire man said.

Clary smiled. She got up and walked over. She held his shoulders and rested her chin lightly on the crook of his shoulder. She smiled, admiring his makeup. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you biscuit." he said.

"Are you going to be okay?" she asked him.

"I will be. It's not a big deal. It's just dinner." Magnus said. "Besides, I'd rather go out there into my city and out of my comfort zone. I usually just hide indoors or in the bookstore when my father fucks me up."

Raphael turned away, hearing his friend's phone ring from a top his dresser. "Speak of the devil." he said, yanking it free from it's charger. "Can I block him? Please?"

"No." Magnus called.

"Yes!" Clary added, right over her friend's protest.

Magnus rolled his eyes, going back to perfecting his eyeliner. Simon sat down next to him, rubbing his shoulders. "Regardless, I love you. And I want you to be happy. So just have a... a good time out there, yeah?" he said.

"I will." he said, wiping off some leftover powder on his shirt. He stood up, turning to them. "This is a good thing. This is... a start... to something good."

"Something better." Raphael said in agreement, smiling at him.

Magnus gave him the exact same smile. It was for better. He hoped that that was something that Jonathan could give him.

* * *

Knocking on the door of a well known killer would always go one way or the other. And it always depended on the mood. Hell, one day he could be helpful and give the slight glint of a smile. The other times would be some kind of angry lecture and you'd be missing a finger. It was usually the latter unless you were apart of Lightwood's inner circle. Which, no one had ever moved up the ranks into. It was always the same four people that he trusted.

Lucky enough, it was one of those four who was knocking. He received a grunt in response. Jace entered the room, slowly moving inside of the large office building. He licked his lips, looking over at the dark room. "Are you going to brood in here?"

"Yes. Now what do you want?" Lightwood responded, his head in his hands while he looked down at small stack of papers.

"In regards to Morgenstern, we have a team out to send a message. They will bring back with one of Morgenstern's people and we will send them back with a warning." he said. "I just needed to run this by you before we leave."

The man didn't respond. In the darkness it was almost untenable what kind of expression the man wore. He flipped the page on one of his papers and gave another grunt. "When you bring me this person... make damn well sure that it is a man. I don't torture women or teenagers. And do not lay a hand on him until he arrives here."

The blonde man nodded. He adjusted his jacket. "We'll return by midnight."

Lightwood simply just gave another grunt. The door was closed just as fast as it was opened.

* * *

Magnus wiped the sweat from the back of his neck as he exited the train station. God, he hated the subway. It was always either crowded, slow or hot. And it was never any of them alone. He adjusted his coat, making his way up the steps and approaching the restaurant. He had never really eaten food in Park Slope before. It was almost always too expensive for him or too dumb a theme. But that was where Jonathan wanted to meet him. Hopefully this restaurant was as good as the man made it out to be.

He slowly approached a very small looking place. It wasn't as large or lavish as most Park Slope restaurants tend to be. It was small and simple, just like the book store that he tends to spent hours in. It looked like a bar kind of place. Someplace that everyone could enjoy. Magnus licked his lips as he slowly approached the entrance. It was much warmer than outside. He was about to approach the beautiful hostess and ask her if Jonathan had arrived yet, when he looked over and saw someone in a red suit jacket and identical hair to Clary. The jacket had a huge embroidered silver circle on it. It was very Jonathan.

He wore circles everywhere. On his jacket sleeves. Shirt pockets. He was pretty sure that the older man's first ever tattoo was a circle on his hand. Nevertheless, it was his thing. Magnus liked that. It gave him character. Magnus smiled, brushing some hair behind his ear and moving over towards him. He gently tapped his shoulder. The man turned around, meeting eyes with him. Jonathan instantly blushed, clutching the flower that he had in his eyes. Magnus was always beautiful. A vision compared to all these other people that were the American standard of handsome. He slowly grinned. "Wow." he said.

"Hello to you too Jonathan." he said.

"Wow." he said again, before shaking his head. "Uh... I mean hi. Hi. Woah. Magnus, you look. You look beautiful."

"Why thank you." Magnus responded, looking over. "As do you. I love this jacket of yours."

"Thank you." he said. He held out the small rose in his hand. "Here you go."

"You bought me baby's breath this morning. You didn't need to."

"Well I wanted to."

Magnus smiled again, taking the rose and holding it to this chest. "So... have you... been to this place before?"

"I have. A friend of mine is the head chef over here. Don't worry, it's very simple. Burgers, pasta, soups. Good ol' American comfort food."

"I like good ol' American comfort food."

Jonathan chuckled, moving his hand onto his waist. "You wore this light jacket in this cold weather?"

"Oh? Oh I um... I forgot to grab my thicker jacket on the way out."

"Well, we'll be in here for a couple of hours. So don't worry about it for long."

"You were the one who brought it up."

Jonathan rolled his eyes. He moved his hand forward and motioned towards the dining hall. "Shall we?"

Magnus nodded, following him inside. It was going pretty well so far. And it continued to go well. Jonathan, despite his muscular stature and his overall resting bitch face, was pretty down to earth. He had a very happy smile about him and funny stories to tell about work. Magnus was usually around Clary more often than he was with her older brother. It was enjoyable. The smile that had spread his lips never left him once during their entire conversation.

Magnus looked down at his pasta, smiling. "So... are you going to tell me where you were so interested in me?"

Jonathan quickly set down his burger, wiping the aioli from his lips with his napkin. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you have been very kind to me for years. Every since the end of middle school I believe. And you've always wanted to ask me out and date me. Do you have a reason why?" he asked, setting down his fork and sipping his coffee.

"Well... you are so kind and beautiful. And beautiful. In both ways. Inside and out. I absolutely love how you care for others before yourself. Like with those kids yesterday! You raised so much money for them."

"They needed it."

"And without your help they wouldn't have gotten it. Or the attention. And not only that but... but I have seen the way your heart aches. The way that you yearn for love and care. You don't get it from your father and most people often take advantage of you. I just... I want to be there for you. In a way that a friend could never reach. I want to take care of you. Protect you. And hopefully, earn that affection back. From you."

Magnus entire face had flushed during that speech. He cleared his throat, looking down at his bowl. Wow. He didn't know that. Not only that, but the way that Jonathan had worded it was nothing short of something out a fairy tale. "Well..." he said. "And I thought I was a writer. That was... that was beautiful. Very well said."

"Thank you." he said. "I mean what I said though. Just this one chance, dinner... is more than enough. I just want to take it further. If you would let me."

Magnus looked down. "Jonathan, well... look I get it. And I appreciate your kind words about and towards me. But, I just need time. If you could give me time. Maybe a couple of days, perhaps?"

The redheaded man slowly nodded his head. "Of course." he said, taking Magnus' hand and pressing a kiss against the back of his palm.

Magnus smiled again.

* * *

The dinner had gone quite well. The entire time, it was lost on him that it was even like a date. Like a gentleman, Jonathan paid for the food and led him outside. Magnus held onto his arm, graciously. "How did you get here?" Jonathan asked.

"Oh. I took the train." he said, rubbing his shoulders. "No need to fret, the station is right around the corner."

Jonathan slowly pulled away from Magnus, shucking off his jacket and pulling it over Magnus' shoulders. Magnus chuckled, forgetting that he had promised him to fix the jacket problem. The taller man held him firmly by the waist as he typed into his phone. After four short minutes of them standing out in the cold and making more small talk, a small red car pulled up towards the front of the restaurant. Magnus turned to him, raising his brow. "Jonathan, you didn't have to call me a cab."

"I wanted to. Besides, at this time of night, the trains will be packed to the bone and have dozens of delays. You'll get home faster and safer this way." he said, opening the door for him and rubbing the small of his back.

"Thank you then." he said, moving over and sitting down inside. "And, I had a fun time tonight."

Jonathan smiled. "I'm glad. How about we do again sometime?"

Magnus nodded. "I think that I would enjoy that. Very much."

"Well uh... call me or text me when you get home. Okay?"

"Okay then."

"And, once you've thought about what you want, can I... can I call _you_?"

"Yes. Yes you may. Good bye Jonathan. Thank you for this evening."

"Bye Magnus. Drive safe."

He closed the door for him, waving him a sweet goodbye as the car slowly pulled off the road. Magnus smiled, one of his fingers rubbing against the jacket and the other rubbing the rose he was gifted. It was a wonderful night out. A nice warm meal and a nice coversation between the two. Magnus heart kind of fluttered. Not in a romantic way. Just more in a grateful way. He chuckled to himself.

* * *

The drive home had been comfortable. He arrived after a couple of minutes in the car. Much shorter than when he was taking the train. He gave the driver a smile as he slowly walked to his front door. He blushed, thinking about how wonderful their little date had been. Magnus made his way up the steps and into his apartment, throwing down his phone and keys. He looked down at the flower, wanting to preserve its beauty. Magnus quickly filled a mug with fresh water and placed it inside.

Hopefully, he could keep it alive for more than two days. Magnus sniffed the flower before turning back to his home. He shucked off the jacket carefully, looking at the bright color and the beautiful circle on it. He had never saw Jonathan in a romantic light before. But... maybe... just maybe, he could be nice. He told him about all of the things he wanted to do for him. So maybe, he could be that person.

Magnus lowered himself onto his couch, running his fingers against the thread. As soon as his rump touched the cushion, the lights inside of his living room went out. He looked up in confusion and shock. He muttered a curse, getting back up and walking over to the front door to call the landlord. As soon as he pressed his fingers to the cold doorknob, the wind was knocked out of him and he was slammed to the floor. Magnus instantly started to scream in shock that there was someone in his apartment. Probably a robber. A firm and gloved hand instantly came over his mouth, silencing him by pressing down very hard. Magnus' eyes widen, feeling a knee press up against his back and the second hand slam his head down onto his hard floor.

His eyes widened as his boy went into flight or flight mode. Having no idea what the fuck was happening or how to respond, he stayed completely still. Frozen against the hold. This guy would probably lock him in a closet, take some necklaces he had a leave. He didn't have much money here. If anything he might take a few gift cards. Those combined had a couple hundred for him to spend how he wished and leave him alone. The man holding him looked up, motioning over with his head for something. Magnus watched as three more men entered his apartment's living room. How the fuck did they even get in here? Magnus stayed still and silent as the man removed his hand from his mouth and wretched one of his arms behind his back.

He bit his lip to hide the pain that he felt, but stayed completely quiet. He didn't want to irritate these robbers. The one holding him hoisted him up to his feet. He pushed him over so that they were facing each other. Magnus was actually quite shocked to see that this man's face wasn't even covered. No mask. No hood. Nothing. The blonde stared him down, looking at him all over. Like he was looking for something specific. Magnus raised his eyebrow. He slowly moved his eyes to the other men in the room. One was blonde like the other, but a bit more platinum. The other was so Indian descent while the last one was Asain mixed like him.

The blonde dragged him up and slammed his hostage down onto the couch. Magnus whimpered, just in unconscious fear and shock. The blonde ran his hand through his hair. "This can't be a Morgenstern."

"Look at the jacket." the Indian one stated back, almost in an angry and bored tone. "That's a circle. Sign of a Morgenstern."

"You don't know that." the lighter blonde retorted. "It looks hand sewn. He might have made it himself."

"So a giant circle just miraculously because a fashion choice?"

Magnus slowly rised, standing on the couch but still staying lowered enough that the men thought that he was sitting. He looked over, slowly seeing a vase sitting there. It was filled with the flowers that Jonathan had given him before. He slowly took a hold of the vase and looked at the blonde. He took a hold of it. He had to act fast.

Quickly, Magnus stood up. He slammed it up against his head, making him fall. The other three moved in, trying to attack him. Magnus kicked the lighter blonde in the stomach and punching the Indian man in the chest. The man slammed into one of the coffee tables, breaking it completely. Magnus ran over through his door. He immediately screamed for help. The Asian man moved in and tried to grab Magnus. But the Indian man grabbed Magnus first, pulling him in and slamming him down onto the ground. He slammed the door and took a hold of one of the broken table legs.

He slammed it hard onto Magnus' ankle, multiple times. Magnus screamed in pain feeling how the bone inside was breaking. The blonde ran over, pulling him away. "RAJ!" he screamed.

Magnus screamed in pain, covering his eyes to hide his tears. He didn't want to show these men that he was crying.

The blonde pushed Raj away. "He fought." he stated. "He's with Morgenstern."

"You don't know that!" the blonde yelled out again.

Raj scoffed. "He's..." the lighter blonde started. "He could be though."

"And if he isn't! He could be an innocent!"

"He doesn't look like an innocent."

Raj moved over, picking him up. Magnus screamed in pain, forcing the man to throw Magnus over his shoulder. He cried out in pain and in protest, but he was pulled away regardless. The blonde hissed. "Jace..." the lighter blonde called.

"That's not a Morgenstern." he said. "I'm telling you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gee, you think Jace?


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They kidnapped the wrong person. He's not even a Morgenstern...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today is a very special and damn near traumatic day. Now, if you don't know. Today I will be taking the SAT. A stupidly long exam that will determine if colleges want to accept lil' ol' me.
> 
> I'm nervous. I have been studying for months. But I am in no way, shape or form a good test taker. I get distracted pretty easily, I have frequent anxiety and panic attacks and my mother (love her to bits though) has been down my back soo yeah.
> 
> I am posting this before I am taking the test. So I an wishing myself good luck and good fortune. Please do the same for me. I'm desperate to hey at least a 1000 or 1100.
> 
> Enjoy the chapter! Sorry for this rant 🤎

Magnus had only felt the pain in his right ankle.

It didn't matter that his hands had been zip tied in front of him. Or that he was trapped inside of a dark trunk. There was only the unbelievable and outrageous pain. He was pretty sure that his ankle was broken. That man, Raj, had slammed that damned table leg onto it multiple times. Hopefully, if he was to die, he wouldn't have a broken bone in heaven. Or hell. Besides, hell sounded a lot more better. All of the gays would be there. Sounded like a party to Magnus if this situation wasn't as serious as it was.

Magnus was then pulled out of the trunk, very forcefully. His zip ties were cut and his wrists were brought behind him. He cried out as he was forced to walk wherever he was being led to. He felt himself walk around for a long couple of minutes before he was shoved down some steps. He was slammed down onto a chair and his wrists were tied down once against onto the side bars. Magnus bit his lip, looking as the men were eyeing him. Almost in pity or disgust. Mostly pity, since the only angry one was that Raj person. Magnus stayed in that position, afraid of what was to come. That blonde main man from before moved over to him. Magnus immediately moved away from him, whimpering. He scoffed turning over to the front door. He was rubbing his palms together, almost in worry. What was he so worried about? Did it have to do with him? Or maybe along the fact that he had just kidnapped someone? That someone being poor Magnus. He turned over, seeing the mixed man approach him. He was holding something in his hands. Tape and some loose fabric.

Magnus turned away from him, whimpering some more. Begging him. The man exhaled, slowly taking his chin and forcing over so that they were looking at each other. He gave him a comforting look. He slowly stuffed the thick and large cloth inside of his mouth. Magnus coughed as it stuffed his entire mouth like a chipmunk. The man placed three strips of tape over it, silencing the man that had been silent the entire time. The blonde leader guy turned over to Magnus again. He looked at him almost as if this was wrong. But he didn't do anything. He slowly moved back over to the side of the door of the room that he was inside of.

Magnus slowly moved his cheeks around, trying to move some of the cloth to make it comfortable. Nothing was going to make his gag at all comfortable. He grunted into it in protest of the entire situation. The room stayed silent. It felt like they were inside of the room for hours. Magnus grew exhausted, staying here bound to a seat in front four crazy people that probably had full intentions of auctioning his kidneys off. He dozed off after being in that chair for over four hours. And he slowly came to hours later, hearing the door open and seeing as the huge door opened. He moaned into his gag, moving over. He turned over, seeing that he had been restrained a lot more in his sleep. The zip ties were gone and his wrists and elbows had been bound to the chair behind him with thin rope. He pulled on them, groaning into the cloth that had been shoved into his mouth.

He groaned, turning over to the face the front. As he did, the pain from his broken ankle came all over again. He inhaled at the pain, being grateful for once over that cloth was inside of him so that he could bite down on it. He was not at all going to cry in front of them again. Even though he probably had makeup running down his cheeks, he didn't want to cry even more in front of them. He looked over, seeing a new man enter the room. A silhouette followed him. Dark silhouette. It was almost like he himself was a shadow. He stayed inside of the darkness of the room. The dim light inside almost seemed itself to be allergic to the man.

The man stayed there in the shadows of the room. But he raised his hand and snapped. It shook the entire room. It was almost like a Thanos snap. The mixed man who had gently gagged him before moved over. He took a hold of the tape and pried it off as gently as he possibly could. Magnus hissed as the tape pulled on his skin. Fucking duct tape. The man balled the tape up and made eye contact with Magnus as the cloth was yanked out. He pulled at his binds before he looked at the dark man. He couldn't see his face. Only how tall he was and the clothes that he was wearing.

Was he the actual leader? And not the blonde? If so, maybe he could be persuaded? He didn't at all want to be hurt by these men. And maybe this was all a big mistake. Magnus bit his lip, wanting to move over and ask him but he was shut down when the blonde spoke first. "I don't think that this is a Morgenstern."

"Hm?" he man only grunted.

"When he followed him, it was because he had a circle on the back of his jacket." he continued. "But he's not one. I can tell."

"He fought back." that Raj guy stated, interrupting Jace. "Look at your head."

"He was probably scared." the lighter blonde retorted, rubbing the bruise and picking glass from his locks.

The man hidden by the darkness moved his head over. Magnus could sense his gaze on him. So he slowly nodded, looking down. The man inhaled. "Name?" he stated.

"Name? What do you mean-"

"Shut it, Raj." the man snapped. He pointed at Magnus. "You. Your name."

Magnus stiffened. "M-Magnus... Magnus Bane."

"Bane?" he repeated.

Jace opened his mouth to speak, but the hidden man slammed his hand against his chest. He stayed where he was, but crossed his arms across his chest. "Why did you have a circle jacket? Do any of you have it?"

"Yes." the mixed Asian man said, moving over to a table behind Magnus and picking it up. He handed it to the leader.

No explanation was need. He slammed the jacket down to the ground. "Moron." he sneered over at Raj. "This is a Morgenstern jacket. No other inferior in that mob has them but the immediate family!"

Raj's eyes widened with fear and his cool guy attitude changes. "I-I didn't-"

"Do you have any idea what the hell you've done?!" he hollored. "He knows nothing of Morgensterns. Or of this life! You just brought him into it."

"Then let me fix my mistake, okay?" he said, going into the waistband of his pants. He pulled out a pistol like it was nothing. "Let me kill him."

"Raj!" the blonde yelled.

"No, please!" Magnus cried, moving away.

There was no yell or struggle about killing him. There was a blast. Magnus' eyes closed tightly, fearing that the blast was going to him and when he opened his eyes he would be in heaven or hell. But he heard a thump. He opened his eyes and looked over, seeing as Raj fell down against the ground. Magnus screamed at first, seeing an unmoving and bleeding body in front of him. He then leaned forward, puking out the nice dinner he had with Jonathan.

Well... what a great night this turned out to be.

"Nigel! Blindfold!" the man ordered.

He nodded, pulling off his tie and tying it over Magnus' eyes. Magnus started to cry now, no longer attempting to hold it in. He sobbed. He had been kidnapped, had his ankle broken and watched someone kill a man. The man in the darkness threw down his gun and slowly moved over towards the man tied up in the chair. Jace watched him. "Get rid of that body." he said to him.

Nigel was the one to move. He covered his nose to hide the scent of blood as he dragged Raj out of the room. Lightwood knelt down in front of the terrified prisoner in front of him. He took a hold of the arm rests of the chair, shaking it lightly to get the attention of the man. Magnus silenced his sobbing, bit his lip. "Please... please..."

"It's okay. Ssh. Ssh." he said to him. "Listen to me. You didn't see anything, right? You didn't see a thing here okay? None of this happened."

Magnus nodded furiously. "Please, please just let me go. Please."

"Al-. Hey. He needs a hospital." he said to him. 

Lightwood turned over to him. "What?"

"His ankle." the other man added.

He looked down. The skin was swollen. He pressed a finger against it. Magnus cried out. "STOP! PLEASE!"

One touch did that.

"Fuck." he cried out, turning to Jace. "Raj?"

"Raj." he said to him.

Lightwood scoffed. He turned over to Magnus again. He was sobbing from fear. He hissed. He was injured. He couldn't let him go. Questions would be asked. Lightwood stood up, turning over to Jace and the other blonde man. "I can't let him go."

"What?" Jace said.

"What?!" Magnus said. "No, no, please! I promise that I won't say a thing! I promise that I won't tell anyone what I saw! Just let me go! I'll go to a doctor myself! Just let me go!"

He was shivering from the crying and fear of what would happen to him. He thrashed in the ropes that kept him bound. The man stood up, rubbing the bottom of his chin. "He has no fucking idea what he has caused." he growled.

The lighter blonde man ran over to Magnus and rested his hands gently on his shoulders. Magnus screamed louder at the touch. "It's okay. It's okay." he said. "You're going to be okay."

"Untie him from that chair and get him to a room." the man ordered. "Hurry up, we need to see the severity of the bone break."

Jace ran over, helping the other blonde untie the ropes as gently as possible. Magnus was still crying and screaming. He thrashed hard as soon as the rope was fully removed from around his wrists and elbows. They held him gently from under the arms and lifted him out of the room. Lightwood watched as they did. He inhaled.

Ridiculous. Completely fucking ridiculous. This was not how tonight was supposed to go.

* * *

The pain that he was feeling in his ankle was so annoying. It felt almost as if the entire bone inside of his skin was shattered. He sure as hell hoped not. The two blonde men carried him up multiple sets of stairs. But he couldn't really see where he was being taken from how tight the blindfold was against his eyes. The two laid him down against a warm, soft bed. They gently moved over, one by his legs and one hold his shoulders down as tenderly as possible without giving him any threat.

Magnus saw everything as a threat though. The hands holding him down immediately went to his mind as violence. He thrashed, trying to get a hit in despite not being able to see. The lighter blonde looked up, seeing Jace struggle. "Jace, Jace, Jace!" he called. "Leave him be. Just leave him. Okay?"

"I have to hold him down if you're gonna look at the bone Underhill." he said.

Underhill exhaled. He turned over to the ankle again. It was really swollen. And from the way it was twisted it was surely broken. And it was a bad break. It seem broken in three different places. Damn, Raj had surely did a number on him. He exhaled, running his hand through his hair. "He needs surgery." he said.

"What?!" Jace yelled.

"What?!" Magnus called out.

"It's broken. Badly. We need to get him to a doctor so they can examine it. The longer we wait, the worse this will get. And what will Bane say about his son then?"

Magnus eyebrow raised. He pulled Jace off from his shoulder and leaned up. "My... my father?" he said. "What are you taking about? Who are you? What is going on?"

"Shit." Underhill gasped.

"Fucking great Underhill." Jace hissed, getting up. "I'll call the girls. They can do it here. Get some morphine. I got him."

He nodded and ran off from his spot. Jace held onto Magnus gently. He typed something quickly into his phone just as Magnus started to cry again. Jace held onto his shoulders again. "Don't cry. Don't cry. Everything is going to be okay, alright? Please don't cry. Everything's alright."

"How do I know that? You fucking kidnapped me blondie!" Magnus yelled, recognizing his voice from the first one who spoke in his apartment.

Jace grinned. He knew that Magnus couldn't see it, but it was a pretty nice comeback. The doors to the room opened and in walked two new people, along with Underhill. One of them had in instant fearful and confused voice. She sounded sweet from the first word from her mouth met Magnus' eyes. "What. The. Hell?!" she screamed. "Who is that?!"

"I can't... I kinda can't explain that." Jace said.

"Please... please help me..." Magnus whined. It was worth a shot.

"Why the hell is he blindfolded?!" the same voice yelled.

"That's kind of a long story." Underhill said to her.

"Then make it quick!"

"Okay! Okay! We went out on a mission tonight. It was to send a warning to the Morgensterns, we were supposed to take one of them. We followed the wrong one and we ended up finding this man. Raj insited that he was apart of their cabal. And so we brought him here."

"I told him that he was innocent." Jace added.

"Yeah! Thank you so much Jace! That helped! All you did was watch the pot boil and did nothing to stop it from flowing over!" she screamed.

"I made a mistake!"

"Where's Raj now?"

"Where do you think?" a new voice called.

"Lightwood got to him first." Underhill answered.

The girl exhaled. "Then why not just send him home?"

"We can't." Jace said to her.

"Why?"

"Raj broke his ankle. And according to under-nurse over there, it's broken badly."

"Cat?" the girl called. "Is... is it?"

Magnus felt light, feather like touches against his skin. He felt the fabric of his jeans slowly rise up over his ankle. The touches were gentle. As his shoe and sock was pulled away and fingers pressed against the skin. "The bone is broken in three different places."

"What?" Magnus asked, slowly starting to sob again.

"It's okay sweetie. We'll fix it." she said to him, rubbing his knee comfortingly.

Magnus slowly felt a little more comfortable. But only with the two girls. So far, they had been the most gentle towards him. Magnus' ears perked when he heard a loud clapping sound. But it wasn't a clap. It was skin on skin. Someone had gotten slapped. "You are a fucking moron! Broke his ankle?! Why didn't you do something?!"

"I pulled him off before anything else could happen!" Jace yelled.

"Oh and then what?"

"What's your name sweetie?" the other woman, Cat, asked him.

Magnus' lip was quivering from crying and screaming. He struggled to find the words. "I-I-"

"It's okay. Don't speak." the other woman said. "Are you allergic to any pain killers?"

"No... no, no. No." he said.

"Okay then." she said. "Jace, get the fuck out."

"Iz, wait-"

"No! You have done quite enough by not defending him." she yelled. "Now get lost! Let us help him!"

Magnus heard some kind of struggle, but the door was clicked shut. He felt gentle touches against his ankle and arm as a needle was inserted. Magnus breathed in. "Calm down..." Cat called. "You're going to be okay."

Magnus felt his body slowly start to calm down. The painkiller was calming. The pain that was completely gone. It was comforting. Warm. Magnus' eyes rolled to the back of his head. He welcomed the darkness as he slowly faded into sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus' ankle had been broken terribly. So now he's stuck inside of this huge place with a dark and very intriguing murderer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're wondering how my test went... well...
> 
> In all honesty, I am just really tired from taking, mentally and physically. I think that I did okay. But I have no high hopes for a perfect score (1600)
> 
> Thanks for your kind words though. It really made me feel a lot better 💚🍀
> 
> Sorry for posting so late. I'm with my friend for her birthday. So I dedicate this chapter to her. Happy Sweet 16 Madeline!! 🎂

Magnus hated waking up in the mornings. He usually woke up at around four AM and wandered himself back to sleep. But when he woke up this time, everything felt different. He was covered in multiple blankets and dozens of fluffy pillows supported his head. Not like his own bed, with his multiple flat pillows and worn out quilts. He moaned, slowly pulling his arms up. He pressed the side of hand against his temple. It wasn't throbbing like he had a headache. It was more like he was exhausted. From sleeping. Strange.

He rubbed his eyes, trying to look over at his surroundings. But as he did, he noticed that he wasn't in his room. Or Raphael's. Or Simon's or Clary's. This room was much different. It was large. Three lamps against the walls and beautiful paintings hanging. The walls were made of light brown wood and the floor had cream rugs against the red wood floor. Magnus raised his eyebrow. This place looked like hotel. Like some kind of winter log cabin. A honeymoon suite. It seemed like a lot of things.

Slowly, as he looked around the room, the events of last night started to come back to him. How it had all started with a very nice dinner date with Jonathan. How it had turned into an episode of _Hawaii Five-O_ and he ended up being kidnapped by these strange men in black. One of which was always hidden in the shadows. And the other of which who had been shot to death. And had broken his ankle. Magnus gasped, sitting up fully. As he did, pain pulled through his right ankle. He cried out in pain. He looked over, seeing his ankle being raised in the air. Held by some sort of crane like thing. It was wrapped in a cast very tightly. He raised his eyebrow. He remembered last night how those two kind women had helped him. Not only that but he remembered how he had only knew it was them by the voices. He looked around, looking for the tie that had been his blindfold. But he didn't see it.

Magnus reached over, trying to a full inspection of his ankle injury. But he was putting to much pressure on his leg. It hurt. He slumped back down against the bed. Where was he? He knew that he wasn't in some kind of basement or cell like before when he was been tied and gagged to a chair. But now he was in some kind of house. Some kind of mansion or cabin. He inhaled. Maybe this was a very expensive hospital. Maybe his kidnappers sent him away? He turned over, hearing a light knock against the front door. He jumped, looking over to his right, where the door was. He whimpered, not wanting to answer. Not knowing who was going to be there and who was going to open it. Maybe it would be that Jace guy? He that man who stayed in the darkness the entire time. What if it was him? Though he could only hear his voice, he was the most threatening off all the people inside of this place.

He fucking shot a man and killed him. Right in front of him.

There was another knock, Magnus clutched one of the smaller pillows. He couldn't find his voice. He didn't want to speak. He couldn't. He slammed himself back down on the pillows and closed his eyes. Maybe they would see that he was sleeping and just leave him alone. He looked at the darkness around his eyelid until he heard the door open.

He inhaled, hearing the door open. He couldn't really fake sleep. He wasn't the best actor. He slowly opened his eyes to just make it seem like he was awaking for the first time. He turned his head to the door and saw four people inside of the room. Three of them looked the same. Their hair tied up and dressed in all black. But one stood out. She was dressed in a bright purple dress and high heels. Bright makeup and lavish hair. She looked like a model.

She smiled warmly, walking over to the bed. She had been holding a tray in her hands. She set down on the bedside table next to Magnus and gave him a smile. "Good morning." she said.

That was the voice he recognized from last night. The one that had let it loose on that Jace guy. He had called her Iz. "Um... I..."

"I'm sorry." she said. "I know that you might be a little confused. I hope that I can make that a bit better. I'm Isabelle. You can call me Izzy if you want."

Magnus rubbed his lips together and held them closed. Izzy gave him a wamer smile. She turned over to the other three. She snapped her fingers and pointed around the room. They all nodded and moved over. They went over to stand in the corners of the huge room. Magnus raised his eyebrows. "Um..."

"Don't worry. They're just here to make sure you don't try anything while I'm here." she said, moving to the tray.

"I... I wouldn't-"

"I know. But my brother told me to do it because of how scared you might me being here." she said, holding out a cup to him. "Here you are. It's tea."

Magnus slowly moved over and took the cup. "Thank you..." he said, slowly sipping the hot tea. It was a special kind of tea. It's nothing he's ever had before. He's had mint and chamomile. But never this kind.

Izzy smiled. "It's peach hibiscus." she said.

"It's good. Thank you Isabelle." he said to her.

"You're welcome." she said. "Now, you must be pretty hungry after last night. So I-"

"Izzy!"

Magnus jumped at the shrewd voice. It was rough and dirty. He held onto the cup tighter. He looked over at the door. Izzy stood up though, covering his view. She turned over to him and gave him a sympathetic and apologetic look. She snapped at one of the men in the corner. He removed the scarf tied against his neck and held it out to her. Izzy took it and knelt down in front of him. "Sorry." she said.

Magnus tensed up, but she was gentle as she blindfolded him. The knot wasn't as tied as it was yesterday. But it blocked his vision with dark red fabric. He heard someone approach in the front door. "Izzy. No." he stated.

Magnus knew that voice. Instantly. It was the leader man from yesterday. The man that had killed Raj. Magnus stiffened. 

"What?" Izzy called back to him.

"Do not feed him whatever it is that you think that you cooked." he said to her. He approached the bed. Magnus held on tighter to the mug. He heard his finger snap. The same as the last. Authoritative. Demanding. "Get that tray out of here."

He heard the shuffle of plates moving. A warm and comforting smell wafted into his nose. He smelled eggs and bacon. "At least you made him tea the right way."

"Even I can't mess that up."

The man from before laid the tray down against the side of Magnus' raised leg. Magnus couldn't see where it was placed, or the man that placed it there. But he heard the clambering of plates and cups together. It was silent inside of the room for a second. The only sounds that could really be heard was the fast beating of Magnus' heart. The mug was slowly pried from his hands and laid down onto the tray. The man then placed a bowl in his hands. Magnus couldn't see what it was, so he held it very gently. "It's fruit." the man said. "I hope that you're not allergic."

"I'm... I'm not." Magnus responded.

"Good." he responded. "How's your ankle?"

"Um... it's... it's fine. I don't know." he said to him. "Have I been asleep for long?"

"Not long. You slept through the night. It's pretty early in the morning."

"Oh."

Izzy cleared her throat, a bit too obviously. He heard an exhale. "My name is Alec. You've met my sister Isabelle already. I run this place."

"This place? What is this place?" Magnus asked.

"You don't need to worry about that. You'll be out of here soon enough." he responded. "We just need to wait for your ankle to set and then you can go on home." Magnus nodded, moving his hand to try and find a piece of fruit. Izzy moved over and helped him with a piece of pineapple. "This is my... uh, home... ish. You are welcome to any room and anything as long as you ask. And once you start walking you can go into any room."

Magnus bit into the fruit and nodded. "I'll help you with everything. Walking and stuff." Izzy said to him.

"Do I... do I need to keep this blindfold on the entire time?" he asked.

"No." Alec said to him. "Only around me."

"Why?"

"It's just... better for you." Izzy interjected. "Trust me."

Magnus raised his eyebrow. Why couldn't he look at this man? Was it maybe to keep himself from getting murdered. Magnus nodded, picking up a strawberry. "My home is now your home. If you should need anything, you can just call for me, Izzy or Jace. You can go anywhere inside of here. Expect for the basement."

Magnus wasn't going to ask why he couldn't. Even though he was morbidly curious as to why he wasn't allowed to go at all. He nodded. He felt a gentle hand rest on his non raised thigh. "When I leave, you can take that off and just relax. Soon, you'll be at home."

Magnus nodded. "But I... but I have people at home. People that-"

"Don't worry about that. I'm going to take care of that."

"So what, I'm your... I'm your prisoner?"

"No. Not prisoner."

"But I'm not allowed to leave this place am I?"

"No. But then again, you can't leave anyways. Your ankle is out of commission."

Magnus could just sense the grin against the man's lip. Magnus set down the bowl. "So, this is still a kidnapping? You're still holding me here against my will."

"Trust me Magnus. I don't want you here anymore than you want to be here. There isn't much that I can do but keep you here until you are healed."

Magnus licked his lips and nodded. He heard another one of those harsh and demanding snaps. He heard footsteps and then the door close. His hand lingered over to the blindfold. "You can take it off now." Isabelle called to him.

Magnus went behind his head and slowly pulled off the scarf. He moved over and saw that Alec and those three guards were gone. It was only Izzy. He smiled, looking down at him. "You'll be fine. Alec's just trying to get to you."

"Oh trust me. He already has."

* * *

"Jace!"

Jace inhaled. He could already sense it. The lecture that he was going to get. He stiffened, dropping the gun that was in his hands. He turned over to beside him. Underhill gave him a good luck look, and pulled his muffs back over his ears. The blonde set down his gun and turned over. There he saw his brother walking over to him. As per usual, he was hidden by the darkness. Jace exhaled. "Dude. Do the shadows just follow you or-"

"I need you to take care of our little problem." he stated.

"You literally shot Raj dead for pointing a gun at Magnus. I'm not killing him."

"I didn't ask you to. I'm asking you to take care of something else."

"What is it?"

"I need to get the most information that you can about Magnus."

Jace inhaled. "Are you serious? Why do I have to do this?"

"If anything from the rant I heard before surgery, you could have stopped any of this from happening."

"I did try. And then I got glass smashed in my face. And then Raj broke Magnus' ankle. Underhill, back me up here."

"I'm not helping you." he answered, taking the shot at the target.

"Gee. Thanks pal."

"No problem."

Jace exhaled. Alec just crossed his arms across his chest. "I have no idea who he is. I only know that he is a Bane. I need to know if he is actually some kind of threat."

"I doubt it. He was sobbing crying yesterday."

"Some cabals have actors ready to ruse other leaders and inferiors. I just want to be sure."

Jace rolled his eyes. "I doubt that this is as serious as it is Alec."

"You can never be to sure in this kind of life."

"If you're sure then, fine. I'll do some digging. Call up some people I know."

"Good." Alec said, turning around and leaving the room.

"What? No thank you?"

"Thank you for following orders?" Alec called back

Jace groaned, turning back over to the targets. "I fucking hate civilians."

"Join the club." Underhill said to him.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jonathan is called into the Morgenstern mob
> 
> Raphael's nature is learned and news is given to him that he did not at all expect to receive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure if you know, but Jordan Peele is one of my favorite screenwriters. Get Out is an A+ film. Us is my favorite horror movie like ever. And I am forcing my brother to come with me to see Candyman when it comes out.
> 
> I was rewatching Us for like the third or fourth time in a row, and I got pretty inspired by the tunnel aspect of the film. I won't spoil the movie. But if you haven't seen it, it's been almost a year boo! Get wit the program! Watch the film!! It's so goooddd 🐇🐇🐇
> 
> Anyways... happy to have you back for a new chapter! I have been writing none stop for this story. While you guys see six chapters, I have about eighteen ready for editing and posting. And trust me, I can NOT wait to get these posted! I hope that you enjoy it! 🤍

Jonathan made his way down the steps of the train station. God. This place was always a dump. Candy wrappers littering the floor, napkins containing God knows what and the squeaking of rats wherever you turned. Jonathan didn't often take the train, it it took him a year and a half to understand why Magnus finds it so soothing. He looked over, seeing that the train had been delayed. _New York, am I right?_ , he thought to himself. He gave a sly grin, looking down the tracks. He cleared his throat as he walked down all the way to the end of the station. He stepped down onto the tracks, pretending that he had worked there. If you looked like you belonged there, people assumed that you did belong. He walked down the short amount of steps into the deep dark tunnel that was the NYC trains. He pressed his hand against the grimy wall. He moved on forward for a couple of moments before finally finding something recognizable.

His hand pressed onto a wall. It was like the others, but with a close eye you could see that were were markings against it. Marking showing that it was some kind of door. He knocked on it three times. Secret code. There was some shuffling from behind as a small slid from the door moved over and opened it up. "Name?"

"Open the door up." he growled.

"I need a name."

"Listen to the sound of my voice you fucking dipshit. Get this door opened before I decapitate you with the D train!"

That certainly didn't take long. The lock was twisted open and the door was pulled back for him. Jonathan stepped inside. "So very, very sorry Mr. Morgenstern." the man said.

"No problem Ryan. And just call me Jonathan. You know that that Mr. Morgenstern is my dad being threatening. Now, where is my father? Why did he call me here?" he asked, slowly making his way down inside of the hall.

"He told me not to say. He said to me that he will tell you when you arrive in the main hall or his office." he answered to him. "But if I'm being honest with you... something's happened within the crime families."

"What? There has been problems for months. What could have happened to offend someone?"

Ryan didn't give an exact response as they moved down the tunnel. He opened another door and then welcomed in the tall man. He moved inside of a huge man hall. It was almost like a giant auditorium without the seats. Jonathan walked inside, looking over at all of the people inside. His hands rested against the railing of the balcony, seeing everyone below him. He was pretty sure that his entire cabal was here. So many people. Men and women. They all looked scared, frustrated or angry. And there was no emotion in between. Why were they all here? Jonathan slowly descended down the steps, looking at everyone.

His eyes looked over and he saw an anxious man. He was tapping his foot impatiently, Almost angrily. Jonathan saw as he started to vent to his friends. He heard a short version of how he was supposed to be with his husband while he was sick to his stomach and take care of their infant daughter. Jonathan made his way past all of these men and women, leaving Ryan behind him, and made his way towards the front. He didn't see his father standing there. He was usually there. He turned over towards another door hidden inside of the gigantic room.

He opened it and found the man that had helped him. He wasn't raised by Valentine Morgenstern. In fact, he didn't know much of the man when he was a child. He was raised by his mother alongside his baby sister. Then after his mother died, their father returned into their lives. He didn't automatically become a parent. Clary and him did not trust the man. Jonathan had to raise and protect his sister. But then he needed to provide for her. And that is where Valentine came into play.

He had showed the young man the world that was truly New York City and he brought him into it. Jonathan ended up loving what he did. Because it meant that he was the authority. The best. Not the police. Not the government. Him. And he could keep his sister and Magnus safe if he wanted. He could do whatever he wanted. Jonathan shut the door and pressed his back up against it. "Father." he called. "What the hell is going on out there? Everyone apart of the mob is here."

"I am very much aware of that Jonathan. Thank you for reminding me of my own orders." Valentine said, polishing off the blade that was in his hands. "I was about to do a head count."

"A head count. Why?"

"One of my spies informed me of what had happened between Lightwood and I."

"Lightwood? What happened?"

"He found out about the drugs I have been selling around. And he kidnapped one of my supporters to send me a message."

"I was just out there. Trust me. No one has been kidnapped. One of the Lightwood's men must have been bluffing to scare us. If it was true, Lightwood himself would have came up and told us."

"The best spy I have gave me that information. And she knows not to lie to me. And if you think that the Lightwoods would bluff, you do not know them. At all."

"No one was kidnapped though. Believe me."

"Then why did my spy tell me that?"

"What exactly did she tell you? Maybe you heard something wrong."

"Trust me. In this life, you have to listen to anything and everything. When she came to me, she told me that a man wearing our insignia was kidnapped from his home and taken by Lightwood's right hand. Those were her words."

"A man wearing... what spy was this? Who was it?!"

"Why does it matter?" Valentine said, setting down the blade in his hand and standing up from his desk.

Jonathan slammed his palms against the table, getting his father's complete and utter attention. "Who was it?!"

"You know my spies go by pseudonyms, Jesus!"

"What exactly did she say to you anyways? The whole thing! Tell me! Run it by me."

Valentine exhaled. "She told me that there were four men. All in black with Lightwood's tattoos all over. They were carrying a screaming man that wore a red jacket with a silver circle."

Jonathan cursed, punching his father's desk. "Shit! Father, only the heads of the Morgenstern mob wears the red jacket!"

"Wait... you mean our red jacket? The one that I gave you for that little date of yours?"

"Yes! No one else in our cabal wears red suit jackets."

Valentine kissed his teeth. "So Lightwood's kidnapped a civilian."

"Not just any civilian."

"Oh please."

"No. I told you. He's important."

"Important my ass. He's an everyday New Yorker. So who cares about him?"

"I do! Are you kidding me?!"

"Lightwood will probably let him go as soon as he realizes that he has taken the wrong person. He's reasonable, unlike me. Relax." Valentine said. "You're little boy toy will be fine."

"He is not a boy toy." Jonathan growled. "Do not call him that!"

"Calm down boy." Valentine said to him. "Relax. I will go out and release everyone to go home. But if it makes you feel any better, I will send someone looking for him. What's his name?"

"Magnus Bane." he stated.

Valentine's eyebrows raised. "You fell in love with a Bane? Are you insane?!"

"I'm not crazy! Okay! He's... he's not like us. He knows nothing about us. About this life. He's like Clary. Kept in the dark. Happy on the surface. She doesn't need to know anything about us. Magnus is the same way." Jonathan explained.

Valentine inhaled. "If his father gets wind of this-"

"You think that he already doesn't? He might not be as big a Lightwood, but he has power in this state." Jonathan said.

Valentine cursed. "I will handle everything. This is a lot bigger than a simple mistake."

Jonathan nodded. "I'll go and handle Clary."

"Go. I need to get this situated." Valentine said, rushing out of the office. "This is a lot more than just one accidental kidnapping."

Valentine slammed the door of his office. Jonathan picked up the blade on the desk and threw it at the wall. "Dammit Lightwood!"

* * *

Driving all the way up to New Jersey was kind of a ridiculous waste of time. He hated driving for time lengths that was more than twenty minutes. But he had to do what he had to do when it came to serving his cabal. And serving Alec. Not only because he loved that man like he was his blood brother. But because if he didn't listen he would have a dozen bruises all over his chest tomorrow morning. He turned the car down the road, bringing himself over towards a small park. He noticed as children started to hop and jump at happiness of being able to be here and to play.

Jace frowned, rubbing the steering wheel. He and Alec were raised in the cabal. They were raised in the dark world that was the modernized organized crime. He often got sad. Realizing that this was the life that they were supposed to have. This was the life that they were supposed to enjoy and reminisce to now that they were adults. But this wasn't what they lived in. The world that dealt with death more often than smiles.

He turned over, seeing someone approach the car. He unlocked the car door, licking his lips as he did it. The door opened and a young woman moved in and sat down. She crossed her legs and adjusted her coat, rubbing in some warmth into her bare hands. Jace pulled the car out of the space he was and slowly moved out of the park and down the street. "Where to this time?" he called.

"I've been having a hankering for donuts." the woman said to him, pulling off her hat. "How are you Jace?"

"You know. Working hard. Working for Alec."

"How is he?"

"You know how he is Aline. In the dark all of the time. Literally and figuratively."

She exhaled. "I worry about him. All the time. Izzy cries to me every few weeks. She cries her eyes out about how Alec's working himself into a grave."

"She's the one that worries the most. It's just who Izzy is." Jace said. "Trust me on this though, the last thing that Alec will ever do is kill himself for this job." Aline sighed. She rubbed her thigh. Jace looked over at her as he pulled down the intersection. "So what have you got for me..."

"That's the thing." she said. "There is nothing about this guy."

"What the hell do you mean Aline?"

"I mean what I said. There is nothing about him in terms of the families and cabals. The only thing is that he is the son of Asmodeus Bane."

"I knew it." he gasped. "He's has nothing to do with the crime families. What else? About just him as a person?"

"What I found on him is just simple. He's a writer, has dual citizenship in Indonesia and in America. He attended medical school before he dropped out and then attended creative writing classes." Aline said. "And just a few days ago he had a charity event for children's education."

"He's not just an average Joe. He's a literal angel."

"With a dad with the heart of a demon."

"Don't worry about Bane. Alec will take care of him." Jace said.

"So... what know? Is he just going to be in the manor? He's going to stay there along with Alec?"

"Raj broke his ankle when we broke into his place. And he insisted that he was apart of Morgenstern's mob because he fought back. Cat tells us that his ankle was broken in three different places." he explained to her. "Alec can't have him stay for long. He's waiting for the bone to set fully and then he'll send him back home."

"But that would take two weeks? What about his family?"

"Alec told me that he would be handling Bane."

"Not Bane. His other family."

"Other family? What do you mean?"

"He has three friends that are more family to him than anything. One is a normal nerd. But he has two others who have... a bit more history. When learning about Magnus, their files raised higher than his own."

Jace turned his head over to Aline. "Who are they?" he asked. "Tell me everything."

* * *

Raphael groaned angrily as he was woken up. He woke himself up at the same time every morning. And he didn't believe in revolving your life to a clock that could break or a phone that could glitch. So waking up to one kind of annoyed him. He groaned picking up the phone and looking over at it. He rolled his eyes, picking it up. "What? I'm off today." he called.

He listened into the person on the other side of the phone. His eyes widened and he sat up automatically. All of the sleep that had been around him was completely gone. He listened in closely. Needing to make sure that this was real. That whatever was being told was the truth. That he wasn't being lied to.

As soon as it was done, Raphael's eyes practically filled with fire. "WHAT?!"


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus has spent a lot of time inside of this lavish cabin. He's been taken care of hand and foot and he's slowly starting to get to understand the people taking care of him.
> 
> Clary and Simon notice Magnus' disappearance and questions the reason why.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, as you can see that I am updating another chapter this week. Well, that is because I am in an AMAZING mood! I got really good grades yesterday shortly after posting yesterday's chapter. I recieved so many comments and new subscriptions from you all. And I got a high score on a singing performance (I'm not the the best singer. I'm more of an actress and writer)
> 
> And so, I want to give back. Not only did I get my friend some nice birthday gifts, but I wanna give you guys an extra chapter. Instead of waiting for Saturday, I decided that I will post today AND tomorrow! 
> 
> I feel so happy today! I told that you guys should have a share in my happiness! 🤗🤗

Simon looked up from his morning coffee, seeing his phone vibrate rather aggressively. He sighed as he pulled on his glasses. He knew who it was. He had set the phone to vibrate like a sex toy if it was none other than Clary freaking Fray. He moved over, spilling a bit of his coffee in the process. He picked it up, smiling. "Morning my red headed-"

 _"Have you gotten Magnus' email?"_ she stated.

"Okay one, hi there. Nice to get your call. Secondly, Magnus' email? What? No." he said, pulling his phone back and checking the notifications. "Oh wait, here it is."

 _"Read it."_ she stated.

Simon did as she was asked, rather quickly as he read comics at the speed that people ran hurdles. He raised his eyebrows. "The hell?"

 _"Right!"_ she called. _"Something isn't right here. Magnus doesn't just... go off on vacation. He hates vacations."_

"Unless it's with us. And why would be do that without asking or telling us? Not to sound overly protective but-"

_"I get it. I get it. This just... doesn't sound like our Magnus."_

"Then again... think about it. He has just been through a lot with his dad and now going out with your brother. Maybe he just needed some time alone. You know? Magnus time. And not to sound harsh, but I think that he purposely wanted to do this away from us."

_"That still doesn't-"_

"I know that that doesn't sound like our Magnus. But then again, he's been through some stuff as of recently."

Clary exhaled through the phone. _"Maybe, maybe you're right. I just... I dunno. I have this... strange feeling about all this."_

"Same here. I know red. I do too. But we just have to trust Magnus. He'll come around when he's ready." Simon said. "Now I have to get to over to work. Meet up for lunch?"

_"Uh... yeah. Bye Si."_

"Bye Fray. Feel better okay? Everything will be fine." SImon called, hanging up the phone. He exhaled though. God, he didn't even believe his own words. "You better be okay Mags."

* * *

Magnus had slept through most of yesterday. It was a rather boring day. It was just resting in bed, eating and sleeping. It repeated after every meal and snack. There wasn't much to do anyways when you have a leg that is hanging from a ceiling. And not only that but there literally is fuck all to do when you are are also being held captive by a murderer. He knows that that Alec man had said that Magnus' wasn't a prisoner. That he was free to roam around the huge manor as much as he pleased until his leg was fully healed up. Which was bullshit because Magnus couldn't move on that leg even if he wanted to. It would be painful and all around just stupid.

There was no freedom in a bedroom. Confined by four corners, an unnecessarily large bed and a television. He was a prisoner. He wasn't allowed to leave the house and he was going to be kept here for quiet a while. So yeah... he was a prisoner. All in all, it wasn't as scary as it was two nights ago. That night he had been restrained to a chair, gagged and pretty much awaiting some kind of torture or death. But he wasn't really bothered here for the most part. The only thing that really was annoying was those two people standing outside of his door. And the constant use of a scarf to cover his eyes when Alec came.

He didn't understand at all why he needed to do this? Was Alec like some kind of injured party? A burn victim? Is that why he was hiding his face? Or maybe, it would be the more obvious reason, that he was avoiding showing his face so that if Magnus went to the police after all of this they couldn't identify the man responsible for a kidnapping. But he obeyed the order because he didn't want to die after spending such a short time with his ankle held up. It was really confusing. And all and all pretty frustrating when he had to lean up and grab the scarf every time Alec made his presence known. Rat bastard. Magnus Magnus nothing do to with him. And then yet, he eas intrigued.

There was something so mysterious about him. Why did he keep in the dark? Why did he brood? There seemed to be layers to this man that was holding him captive. But Magnus refused to be like Belle from _Beauty and the Beast_ and discover things deep into the beast's personal wing. He would stay here until his leg was healed up, go home and hopefully forget that this ever happened. No one needed to know. If they asked, he could just say that he went on vacation and fell down a hill or something.

He tapped against one of the decorative pillows around him, trying to find something around to keep him occupied. He didn't dare touch the TV. He didn't want to know what was on. His thoughts were pulled from him as there was a light knock at his door. Magnus sat up, but hissed at the pain he accidentally shot over to his ankle. He grabbed the scarf quickly, calling for just a moment. He tied it behind his head and leaned back into the pillows. "C-Come in." he called, his voice raspy from the lack of use.

He heard the sound of the door open. He only got one footstep sound instead of multiple, like when Izzy had visited. And he didn't hear the clack of high heels, so it couldn't be her. There was the sound of scratching on the wood that made Magnus shiver in uncomfortableness. "Good morning." he heard from the deep voice.

Alec.

Magnus adjusted the scarf, making sure that it was completely pitch black and he couldn't see a thing. "Good-Good morning Alexander." he said.

Alec inhaled, setting something down on the bed. "I brought you your breakfast. Izzy would have, but she had something to take care of."

"Oh. No worries. Thank you." he said.

"Cat told me that we should keep your energy up. I brought you some oatmeal and fruit. Izzy told me that you really like fruit."

"Who doesn't?"

"Me."

"You... don't like fruit? What kind of person are you?"

"Someone that just doesn't have a sweet tooth."

"But fruits have... natural sweetness."

"It's just not my thing."

Magnus couldn't help but grin. He let out a small chuckle, before covering his lips with his finger. "Sorry."

"Don't be." he replied back. "So, Izzy told me and from what I can see that you haven't touched the TV. Any reason?"

"Um... this kind of isn't my house. I'm uncomfortable with watching TV in other people's places unless it's already on. And besides, I can't reach the remote with this thing on my leg. And TV isn't my thing unless it's good movies."

"Oh yeah. Good movies like what?"

"Get Out? Front Cover? Bohemian Rhapsody?"

"I will admit that I have never seen any of those movies."

"Oh, how alien of you."

The two both let out a chuckle. Even thought Magnus couldn't see it, Alec was hiding his laughter with his palm. His cheeks had turned a flush of pink in the process of laughing. "Well. Just in case, I brought you some other stuff to keep you occupied. Some books. A notebook. Pens."

"Books. Oh! What kind?" he asked, wiping some hair off of his cheek. He internally slapped himself across the mouth.

 _Why show him your excitement for literature you elusive dumb-fuck?!_ , he thought. _Why not tell him your middle name while you're at it?!_

"I um... I brought a few of everything. I don't know what you like. I have The Scarlet Letter, Great Gatsby, Emma, Misery-"

"Misery. By Stephen King?"

"Uh yeah. It's one of my favorite novels."

"You like to read?"

" _So please, oh please, we beg, we pray, go throw your TV set away, and in its place you can install a lovely bookshelf on the wall._ " he said.

Magnus smiled. "Wow. How... well quoted. Nice Roald Dahl quote."

"Why thank you."

"I've never met someone who loves books as much as me."

"Well technically, we haven't met. You just know my voice. And I don't love to read. Most books are boring. Kings novels are one in a million that have a good plot."

"Well I... I do know our name."

"Huh?"

"Your name. Alexander. I know that along with your voice."

"Sure pal. Still haven't met me."

"Well then, thank you for the books. And the notebook. I'll make some good use of this."

Magnus heard the sound of wood scratching again. "I'll be back to hand you some lunch. If you need anything, just knock for my inferiors. They'll send for Izzy... or me."

Magnus nodded. He adjusted his scarf again to fully cover his eyes. He nodded. He listened to the footsteps and heard the door shut with a swift click. Slowly, he pried the scarf from his eyes and looked down. There was a chair beside his bed. The cushion was pressed up, showing that someone had been sitting there moments ago. Laid out in a neat stack where about eight books. But on the top was a copy of Misery. It was a little worn down, so it was obvious that someone had read it. He rubbed the cover page smiling. 

Why did Alec do this? Just to make him happy? To make sure that he wasn't bored? He hugged the book and looked over at the door. He opened up the book, smiling. Even though he had read this book a million times, he absolutely loved the story. He stayed there in bed until noon, reading the story that he knew so well.

* * *

There was a small knock on the door. Alerting of a visitor. There was either news or some kind of immediate danger that needed taking care of. Alec looked away from his wide and huge window. "Come in." he said, his voice as scruff as always.

The doors opened. Jace walked in, wiping some of the snow off of his jacket sleeve. "I've got some news." he said to him.

"What did you find out about him?" Alec asked, crossing his arms behind his back.

"About Magnus. Nothing. He's literally perfect. He has no dark past. No ill intent. And from what I have heard, he actually resents his father." he said to him. "He really was just caught up in some large kind of misunderstanding."

Alec exhaled and nodded. "That's good. The easier it will be to send him back home."

"But I did dig up some stuff about his friends."

"Friends?"

"Yeah. One of his friends is a normal, mundane person. But he had another friend like him. That has connections in the world but she knows nothing at all about it. About our life." he answered. "Her name is Clary Fray. She's an artist. As far as I can tell, she does not know about us. But she's related to Jonathan Morgenstern."

"Related? How related is related? Cousins?" he asked.

"She's his sister."

"And she knows nothing about us?"

"Yeah. But as for his friend, Raphael. He... he knows."

Alec turned over to Jace fully. "Excuse me?"

* * *

The day slowly morphed into night. Magnus, having no where else to stay or go, had been laying in bed. No longer bored as he was before. The pillows and the blankets gave him warmth and comfort. The entire world just flashed around him as he became enveloped in the story of a deranged woman and her favorite author. He didn't notice how the sun had gotten higher until lunch was dropped off by Izzy. He didn't notice that the sun had completely set until there was another knock at the door. Magnus instantly reached over for the scarf, but a gentle voice called out.

One that he had never heard before. "No need to blindfold yourself dear." the sweet and almost motherly voice called out.

Magnus raised his eyebrow. His hand still held onto it. The door opened and a woman that hadn't met before walked inside. She looked a lot like Izzy and Alec combined. Light, fair skin. Long black hair that was silky smooth. It ran all the way down, touching the small of her back. She gave a calm smile towards him, approaching with another tray.

She walked over, setting down the tray on the bed. She sat down on the step and laid her hand against her thighs. Magnus looked over at her. "H-Hello." he called.

"Hello there." she said back, her smile never leaving her lips. She held out her hand. "I'm Maryse. Very nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too." he answered. "Excuse me though, I don't want to move all the way to shake your hand. The ankle and all."

"I understand." she stated. "How did this happen?"

"Well, I uh..."

Magnus really couldn't find the words. That was until the doors opened. His eyes wandered up for a moment before immediately closing them. "Mother." he called. "I've been looking for you."

"Nice to see you too. Now, care to explain?" she said back to him. Magnus' couldn't see it, but her eyebrow was quirked up.

"There's nothing really to explain." he said to her.

"Then you wouldn't mind if Magnus here tells me then." she said back, just as snappy as before.

"Ma-"

"Zip it."

"Really ma'am, it's... it's nothing." Magnus called, feeling the tension around him. "I just... just was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Alec..." Maryse called.

"He had someone else's Morgenstern jacket. My men thought he was one of em' and kidnapped him. I was going to bring one in to send Valentine a message."

"And so this innocent man has a broken ankle because of it?" she asked. "Why not, oh I don't know... send him to a hospital?"

"I couldn't."

"Why on earth not?"

"Because mom he... let's not talk about this now. Okay?" he said simply. He moved over to Magnus and noticed his closed eyes. "How are... how are you doing?"

"Better. Thank you Alexander." he said to him.

"Are the books helping?"

"It is. It helps. Hopefully it will help for the next few... w-weeks."

"Weeks?" Maryse repeated.

"For the bone to set." Magnus stated, shivering back into his pillows from the fear of the tension around him.

Maryse exhaled through her nose. She pushed the tray closer towards him. "Here. It's noodle soup and some and veggies." she said. "There also some ginger ale if your stomach is up for the sugar spike."

"Thank you Maryse." Magnus said.

"It was very nice to meet you Magnus." she said to him, standing. "Alec, be quick. I need to speak with you. Privately."

Alec nodded at her. Magnus heard the footsteps as she walked away and out the door. "I'm sorry about her. I didn't... expect her to be here."

"Don't be. She is very kind." Magnus said, his eyes still closed tightly. "I didn't see anything by the way! I swear it. I only saw your clothes. I promise."

"It's alright." Alec said, unconsciously going to rub some wrinkles out of his blazer. He slowly sat down in the chair that his mother had occupied earlier. "Are you really okay?"

"I'm okay as much as I can be." he said to him, biting his lip.

"You'll be out of here soon. I promise you. The weeks will fly by. And you can forget that this ever happened." Alec said. "Judging from how this looks, my mom cooked it. She's great, you'll like her noodles."

"I... can't wait to try them."

Alec nodded. "If you need anything, don't be afraid to call for me."

Magnus nodded at him. _I'll never call on him though,_ he thought. _He might like books like him but he still the reason that he is and will be forever trapped in this room for two weeks. Until I breathe the wrong way and he kills me._

He turned his head away from Alec, wiping his eyes. Alec stood up from his chair. "Sooner of later..." he called. "You can look at me without the blindfold. Trust me."

"And why should I do that?" Magnus called back.

Alec let out a small grin. "Fair point." he said to him. "Have a good night."

Magnus listened as the door reopened again and closed. He opened his eyes and looked down at the steaming bowl of soup on the tray. He moved some hair from his eyes. He inhaled. Despite the similar interests in novels, Alec was still a killer. A stone cold murderer. That still now kept his face hidden away from. Alec had no interest in Magnus other than keeping his entire ordeal a secret.

He didn't want anyone to know what he had done. That's why he was here instead of a hospital. He had pretty much worded it that way when speaking to that blonde man, Jace. There was no care whether of not he got better. The more you feed, the fatter the cow. He turned away from the meal. He needed a escape plan and fast.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec's dark side comes out to play...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that I already tagged this story for graphic depictions of violence. But, I might as well include trigger warnings for blood and stuff. So, trigger warning for blood and graphic, detailed violence. 🤕💉
> 
> (Also, btw. I AM GETTING MY BRACES OFF TODAY!!!! YEEEEAAAAHHHH BITCH!! 🦷😁❤)

Maryse tapped his finger against her son's desk. She was gone for one week. One fucking week. And this is what happens. She already knew that her son was pretty dark. Well, that was understatement. Alec was pretty evil. Her ex husband had done a number on him. But she had done everything that she could to try and bring him back. To bring him back into the life that he deserved. It didn't work. Her precious and angelic baby boy had practically turned into Bruce Wayne. Only darker and willing to use a gun. Alec was sad, dark, deviant, alone in his own head. She loved Alec, but sometimes she wished that she had just denied Robert's proposal and married someone that she could have actually fallen in love with and stay in love with. She turned over, seeing the door open. She huffed, seeing her son walk in.

She stomped her foot on the ground and placed her hands on her hip. Alec turned over to him, sighing. He rubbed some of the stubble underneath his chin. "Ma... look-"

"Don't _Ma_ me. Your men kidnapped an innocent! And not just that, but you broke his ankle and he's a Bane!"

"Mom. Look, I understand. It was a mistake. But the person who did it is dead." he answered, holding his hands up to defend himself.

"You killed him?!"

"Yes! He hurt that man and threatened to kill him after his own mistake."

"Alec!"

"Ma, look. I get it. But I actually can't let him go."

"Why?"

"If we send him over to the hospital, they'll ask him questions. From there it will get worse. From us and all of the crime families." he explained.

Maryse exhaled, covering her lips. "Alec... this can't be the best idea."

"It's not. But it's the best option that he have so far."

"What about Bane? He'll find out what's going on."

"I'll take care of it. Besides, he might be dangerous but not as much as me. I'm sure that we can work something out so that he's not as explosive as you think he'll be." Alec said. He opened his mouth to speak some more, but heard a knock at the door. He groaned. "WHAT?!"

"Sorry sir. But some of our men have returned with a Morgenstern subaltern in tow." called a British female voice.

"Is it an actual Morgenstern inferior this time?"

"Yes sir."

Alec exhaled. "Leave. I'll be down in a few moments."

Maryse turned over to him. She exhaled. "Alec... I... please, look. I just-"

"Ma. I have to do this. Okay? This is my life."

"But it doesn't have to be. You don't have to be here at all. You can leave. Have a normal life."

"Ma. Enough. Please." he called to her. "I have to go. And I don't want to talk about this. At all right now."

Maryse sighed, pulling her hand away. She knew that he wouldn't give her a straight a answer. He never wanted to talk. "Okay." she said. "But, but just know that I'm here. If you need anything. Anything at all. If you want to talk, I am herr."

Alec turned over to the door. He pressed his hand to the handle before sighing. He turned over and hugged his mother. He was a full foot taller than her. She pressed her head against her giant son's chest. Alec smiled, pressing a kiss to her temple. "Love you Ma." he called.

"I love you too Alexander." she said to him. "So much."

"No. I love you more." he answered. "I'm sorry that I scared you."

"That's alright. It's just the joy of having children."

Alec chuckled. "Everything is going to be fine. I promise."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

She licked her lips. "Only if you say so." she stated. "Go. You shouldn't keep a guest waiting."

Alec nodded. "Can we talk over dinner? Just the two of us?"

Maryse slowly smiled. "I'd like that."

* * *

Jace found some kind of comfort in staying with their captives. He didn't enjoy doing the kidnapping himself. Which is why he was so uncomfortable going off and taking Magnus. But staying with the already kidnapped captives, ones who truly did something wrong? Oh yes, that is what he enjoyed doing. The most out of everything. Sitting down in a chair, leaning back and looking at the captive. Seeing the fear and anger in their eyes. Sometimes he would toy with them, throwing a ball against the wall by them. Or smoke a cigarette right in their faces. But Jace had quit smoking three years ago due to Maryse's worry and overall threats.

So throwing a ball it was.

He licked with lips, throwing his favorite rubber ball at the wall. It hit the wall right behind the bound prisoner. The man, groaned into his gag, scared that the ball was coming to his face. With his wrists roped in front of him and his entire chest and torso bound of the chair, there was nothing that he could do to stop it if Jace had missed. The ball bounced off the wall and back into Jace's hand. Jace chuckled, throwing the ball again. The man screamed into the gag, pushing his head to try and hide. Jace chuckled. _Poor, sick bastard_ , he thought as he heard the door open behind him. He stood up from his chair, looking over at Alec.

Once again, he was brooding. Hiding in the shadows that the room had brought along with it. Jace set the ball inside of his coat pocket, looking at his friend and leader. "Are you sure he's with Morgenstern?" he called.

"Am I sure?" Jace repeated, walking over to him. He patted the man's shoulder before roughly pulling down on his turtleneck. Ripping it to expose his fair skin. Resting against his collarbone was a dark tattoo of a plain circle. No one in their right mind would get a tattoo so plain. So boring. Expect for those who worked alongside Morgenstern. Jace chuckled, smiling as if he had uncovered government secrets.

He ruffled the man's hair before shoving it back. Alec walked over to him. "Why was it so hard to kidnap the right person?" he said.

"Once again, not my fault." Jace said.

"Where was the bastard?"

"Looking around the city. Got distracted thanks to Ximena."

"Ah. Good ol' Ximena." Alec called, looking down at the man. He pulled his chin down so that they were face to face. "Looking to get your dick wet?"

The man screamed out in protest through the huge cloth shoved behind his teeth.

Alec chuckled, standing up. "Get out." he said.

"Okay." Jace said, patting the man's shoulder. "Good luck buddy."

Jace walked away from behind the man's chair before leaving. And he closed the door slowly. Alec turned back to the man, staring him down like he was a lion on it's prey. He kissed his teeth before walking back towards the door, where a small table lay. He picked up a wallet and checked inside for a few seconds. "Daniel Goldstein. Huh." he said, humming. "Interesting. Interesting. Interesting."

Alec walked back over to him. He took a hold of the tape against the side of his cheek and yanked it off. Fast. No warning. The man screamed, pushing out the cloth in his mouth as well. He coughed for a couple of moments, looking to catch his breath. Alec turned away from him, picking something else up from the table.

"You bitch!" he screamed. "Oh, you coward! Kidnapping Valentine's men! He'll come for you. You son of a bitch."

"You have a mouth on you." Alec called.

"At least I'll take whatever shit you have like a man. You stay in the shadows. You're the hidden leader? The great and all powerful Alec Lighwood? And expect me to be scared of you? Afraid of you? Wrong! You're nothing! You need other people to do your dirty work like a bitch!" he screamed, trying to move out of his bonds. "No wonder Valentine fucking hates you!"

Alec smiled, flashing his teeth. "A coward you say."

"Not just a coward. I used a lot prettier words than that!" he stated.

Alec chuckled. "Here. Let me explain something to you. I am a leader. You, are an inferior. You carry out orders. Just like my men when they went to take you. Valentine does the same thing. That's what you did. Follow his orders, correct?"

Daniel inhaled. "At least he shows his face you cunt."

Alec chuckled again. He took a hold of the man's chin with his hand. He gripped it hard. The man screamed. Slowly as he did it, he moved out of the darkness. His face became visible to Daniel. His cold heart and his stone cold expression. Alec looked down at him and he licked his top lip. " _Most of the shadows of this life are caused by standing in our own sunshine._ " he sneered. "You know who said that?"

"I-"

"Ralph Waldo Emerson." Alec answered instead. "Little did he know that in this life, there is and will never be any soft of sunshine. So it is darkness that remains and surrounds me."

Daniel's eyes widened. He finally shook with some sort if fear of what was to come. Alec smiled, raising what was in his hand. Pliers. Daniel's eyes widened. He tried hard to scream. But Alec was clenching his cheeks hard. Alec pressed the pliers to one of his bottom teeth. He shook his head from side to side, trying to get the metal free. He screamed louder.

"You know, some people in this life aren't as vile as you. Some just need to provide for their sons and daughters. But you... you are just as evil as the man that you work for." Alec said. "Daniel. The same Daniel that spent three years in juvie. The same one arrested for raping one of your college cheerleaders. And sending her pictures out to all your gross friends."

Daniel's eyes widened. He shook his head as tears filled his eyes. "Pl-Pleassss." he cried.

Alec yanked his tooth out hard, Blood spilled out like out of a faucet. He cried out as it was pulled out. Alec threw down the pliers, looking at the blood that had gotten on his hands. "The same man that punched his pregnant girlfriend. The same one that abandoned his son after seeing his born with one arm. The same man that knows that he is selling laced drugs to addicts in my city." Alec growled. "And laughs in bars when those same people have to go to the hospital or worse... die."

Daniel spit out the pool of blood inside of his mouth. He didn't get a chance to speak as a fist connected with his jaw. His face went to right, more blood spilling out and an automatic bruise started to form on his skin. He moved his head down. Alec pulled off his blazer and rolled up the sleeves of his shirt. "How do you-"

"What? You think I don't do my research? Me? The great and all powerful Alec Lightwood? I run this city you son of a bitch. I know everything that happens inside of it." Alec stated, licking his lips and wiping the blood off his hands and on his slacks. "Are you getting tired? Come on. We haven't even started." he said. 

"Fuck you!" he screamed back, mouth continuing to fill with blood.

"No thanks man. I top." he said, picking something else up from the table. "Now this. This should surely teach you a lesson."

Daniel looked up. The back of his chair was pulled back until was pressed up against the ground. He kept on struggling in his ropes. But they were tight. That blonde had tied him well. Alec laid a towel down over the man's face. He raised his eyebrows, concerned of what was going to happen. Then water was poured right on top of the towel. Daniel screamed. The water over him felt like he was drowning. He struggled, trying to pull it off.

He raised his bound wrists up, but Alec took a hold of it and snapped his middle finger back. Breaking it. Daniel screamed louder. Alec continued waterboarding him, just looking down at him like he was doing nothing. He looked down at his watch, smiling when he heard Daniel start to beg for it to end. He pulled the sopping wet blanket off and looked down at him. "Oh come on now, it's only be like, oh I dunno... four minutes."

"Please no more." he coughed.

"What do I get if I stop?" Alec said with a nonchalant shrug. "I don't think I get anything out of this. I'll keep going then."

"No! No! Please! Please, no! Stop!" he screamed.

Alec chuckled. That was easy. He crossed his legs and leaned against the wall. "Now, I sure as hell better not see your ass selling on the street."

"I won't... I won't... I won't..." he chanted. "Please."

"And stay the hell away from your son and his mother."

"I will... I will."

"Now, tell me. What does Valentine think he'll get by selling laced drugs?"

Daniel inhaled sharply. He exhaled. "I... I don't know."

"But you do. Wrong answer buddy." Alec said, picking up the chair and slamming it down upright. He raised his leg and kicked the man right in mouth. His head fell backwards, another tooth falling out of his gums.

He screamed in pain as his entire mouth starting leaking blood. Alec raised his leg again. "No! No... No more..."

"And I'm the coward, huh? Tell me!"

"He wants your spot! You're like-like the king of New York. Yet you don't show your face. He doesn't think that you don't deserve to lead. He's challenging you! He knew that this would get your attention!"

Alec raised his eyebrow. Challenging? Him? Alec lip the bottom of his lip. He hummed, turning around on his heel. "You're very lucky I'm not in a killing mood." he stated.

Daniel spit some blood. "Hey! Hey!" he called, stopping Alec. "Aren't you going to let me go?"

Alec rolled his eyes. "Once you spend a night in the dark, you can tell Valentine what I'm saying now." he said, turning. "This is my city. He will never be fit enough to have it."

With that, Alec slammed the door.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus sees Alec for the very first time.
> 
> Valentine receives his threat from Lightwood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanna say... thank you for all of the hits and comments. It warms my heart even on my darkest days. You all make me so happy and make realize that my dream is possible!😭
> 
> I hope you enjoyed the two extra chapters! I'm gonna do that more often. If you want, I might update three times a week instead of two. 🤷🏽♀️
> 
> Have a happy and safe weekend! Stay safe. Wash your hands. Take some me time. Read a fucking book. Do something that makes you happy and safe. See you Wednesday! 🤗💙

"Okay. You're cleared to start attempting to walk. I'm slowly going to lay your ankle down. Tell me if it hurts."

Magnus nodded. Izzy moved over, taking a hold of the wire that held his leg up. Slowly, she pulled it down and laid his tender ankle down against the blankets. Magnus didn't feel any sort of pain. It was just a bit uncomfortable. Izzy smiled at him. She clapped her hands, happy. "So..." she called. "How does it feel?"

"It feels, okay." he said.

"Good. I'll be calling Cat in a few hours so that we could take a look at it properly. But now I need to pull the cast off. Do you mind?" she asked.

Magnus shook his head. Slowly, she started to pull it off. Magnus looked over, seeing how wrinkly and dry his skin was. But it looked a lot better than when it was broken before. Izzy moved over, picking up some lotion and rubbing it into his skin. Izzy smiled, looking over at him. They fell into small talk every time she came. Izzy was actually really nice. She and him actually had similar interests. She liked fashion and makeup just like him. And even though she didn't read as many books as he did, they both enjoyed the same movies and had the same opinions on really bad books and films.

She was kind. But no matter how hard he tried to pry some information on where exactly he was or what the hell was happening around him, she kept quiet. Maybe she was kept in the deep dark too. He started to believe that maybe she didn't really know. But he needed to find out just a bit in order to get free. Izzy pulled her hand away from his leg and leaned down. She picked up a set or crutches and shook them with a smile. "I know. I know." she said. "They're pretty boring. But then again, you'll only need them for about another week before you leave."

 _Trust me Isabelle,_ Magnus thought to himself, taking the crutches and rubbing the height adjusters. _I'll be out of here way sooner than just one week._

"Thank you." he said to her with a smile. "Do you mind... helping me? I think that I want to try and walk around now that I have the cast off."

Izzy nodded. She moved over to his side of the bed, helping him move his legs over the mattress. Slowly, Magnus was raised up onto his left leg. He kept the right leg raised. Izzy helped him grip the crutches. She knelt down and wrapped the leg in a short amount of medical tape. Slowly, she moved behind him and helped him. Magnus inhaled. One step at a time and he would be able to run soon. He lifted his crutches and jumped. It was a light touch. It pained him a bit. He hissed. Isabelle moved in to try and help him if he was falling. But Magnus held his hand out, signaling to her that he was okay.

Magnus turned back over to the door and inhaled once more. He slowly moved back to walking. It took some time for the slight pain in his sore and unused foot to go away, but he found himself going at a steady pace. Left foot, jump. Left foot, jump. Left foot, jump. Izzy stayed behind him as they made their through the hallway. Magnus eyed the halls. It was a similar wood to what was in his room. Maybe a shade or two darker now that he took a closer look. From there, it was simpler to walk. Magnus was able to make it down three steps before Izzy insisted on having one of the guards carry him down the rest of the way.

Magnus wasn't fond of it. But he did enjoy being carried. And this guard had such strong arms...

Izzy helped him walk through the halls and over into an outdoor garden. It was beautiful from first look for him. Even though it was cold, there were still trees and flowers laid out. Izzy sat him down on one of the expensive looking patio chairs, wrapping him in a thick blanket before rushing back inside. Magnus smiled at her, rubbing the fur of the blanket. His eyes wandered, looking up and seeing the house around him. For anything that could be used to try and help him escape this hellhole. He looked up, seeing multiple windows. It looked like a castle from the outside. Magnus hummed. He was on the ground floor. From where he was led, his room was also up on the second floor. Maybe, if his windows led down here-

"What are you doing out here?"

Magnus jumped, closing his eyes instantly. Recognizing the deep voice. His cowered inside of the blanket. He didn't mean to. But Alec had that effect on him. Alec inhaled. He didn't mean to scare him like that. But then again, maybe he was just out here for a bit and was freezing cold. He slowly moved over towards the bench where he was sitting and sat down beside him. "H-Hi."

"Hi." Alec greeted. "Sorry to scare you."

"You didn't."

"Then why are you cowering?"

"I'm not cowering. I'm shivering."

"Shivering."

"It's cold out here."

"Okay then. Sure." Alec said, not bbelieving word he said. "Again, what are you doing out here?"

"Why does it matter?" Magnus asked.

"Because this is my house. And you are under my care."

"More like captivity."

Alec chuckled darkly. "Why do you keep saying that?"

"Because that's what I am. A prisoner." Magnus said.

"What could make it seem like you were less of a prisoner?"

"Humm... I dunno. Maybe not having to be blindfolded around you."

"That's the rule. You don't need to see me. At all. You follow the rules, we have no problems."

"Why? Can I take a guess. Is it because if I see you, I'm going to be able to identify you to the police?"

"Your attitude is seriously getting on my nerves."

"God forbid."

Alec chuckled again, standing up. He stood over Magnus, a shadow wafting over him. "Please. You think that you can put a cool and brave front up but I saw you down in my cell."

"Yeah. Because my ankle was broken." Magnus snapped back. "In three places if I can recall. And if I can recall that, I can recall you being afraid that you even had me as your hostage."

"I could have just killed you then." Alec said.

Magnus smiled. He slowly stood up on his crutches. He opened his eyes, right in front of Alec's eyes. What he saw was quite enchanting. Light and fair skin. Fluffy black hair on the top of his head. Hazel eyes that didn't even look like it was real. There was a growing beard that just looked like stubble. There was a scar right on his cheek in the shape of a crescent moon. Damn. If he wasn't a murderer, he would have considered Alec being incredibly handsome. He was more than a snack. Alec Lightwood was a full on meal.

Alec looked over at him, almost scared. Shocked that he had just opened his eyes like this. Magnus tilted his head, smiling. "Then why didn't you?" he said simply.

Alec's hands wrapped around his neck in an instant. He gripped onto the skin, pulling Magnus up to the air. "I warned you... to keep those eyes closed." he growled.

"Well fuck." he stated. "Do something about it."

Alec growled.

"Alec, get the hell off of him!"

Alec turned over and saw Izzy running over. She threw down the tray in her hands and ran over to them. She pushed her brother by the shoulder while peeling his large hand off of Magnus' neck. Magnus fell down in heap, coughing. Izzy shoved her brother away.

"What the fuck Alec?!" she screamed.

Alec opened his mouth, but instead looked down at Magnus. Magnus rubbed his neck, laughing. "Kinky are we."

Alec growled. He turned to Izzy. "Why is he out here?"

"He has to walk if he wants to leave. Did you forget that in that thick skull of yours? Why are you choking him? Do you have any idea what you're going to do?!" she screaming, turning over to him. She knelt down to Magnus. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine... thank you." he called, trying to stand. Izzy helped him stand up fully. Magnus turned over to Alec. Alec looked down at him, his nose twitching in anger. "Stay away from me."

"Trust me sweetheart. You don't want to threaten me."

"Apparently I'm threatening to you enough. That's why I'm here, to clear your name."

"Watch it Bane." Alec threatened, pointing at him.

"Stop!" Izzy yelled, turning to Magnus. "He's been through enough because of you."

Magnus scoffed, pulling himself off of Isabelle. He grabbed his fallen crutch and slowly moved over to limp away. Izzy watched him. She silently called some of the guards over, before turning to her brother. He growled. "I swear to God-"

"You're insane." she stated, cutting him off.

"What? You're blaming me?"

"Did you or did you not try and choke him? Do you have any idea what you're going to do? You're going to fuck this all up! You're the reason that he's here and now you're gonna kill him?"

"Seems a lot simpler than just keeping him here." he said. Izzy scoffed, turning over. "Iz!"

"I'm not going to just sit here and watch you abuse an innocent!" she yelled back, turning on her heel.

Alec rolled his eyes. "Dammit Bane."

* * *

The one rule of the subordinates and workers is to never, ever open the office door of their leader. You knock once on the door and wait for an answer. If you don't get an answer in under twenty seconds, you leave. If you knock again or open the door, you're dead. You open the door before getting an answer, you're dead. You interrupt a phone call, a meeting or the occasional drink, you're dead. That is the rule. Never interrupt the head. Never open the door. Leave him, her or them the hell alone.

But then again, this was a very important matter at hand. And the worker didn’t even regard the rules that he was supposed to. He slammed the doors opened and walked over towards the desk. He fell down onto his knees and laid his head down onto the carpet. "I'm sorry." he called. "I'm sorry."

The silhouette of a man slowly turned over. He hummed, rubbing the bottom of his chin. "What are you barging into my office for?" he stated.

"I... I... it's-"

"Is it maybe the fact that you failed at your assignment?"

"I-"

"You failed."

"I'm sorry. I am to blame. But you are just as much to. Maybe if you had done your job as well-"

"How dare you tell me what my job is?"

Raphael stood up from his spot on his knees. "How dare I? Please Bane. You know what you did!"

The man growled. He stood up from his chair and walked over to Raphael. Leaning against his cane. Raphael eyed him up and down. As soon as he was face to face with his boss, he was backhanded. The hand pressed against his cheek, pushing him to the side. He hissed, holding his stinging cheek. The man cleared his throat, seating down on his desk. "I'm sorry." he said again.

"I hired you all those years ago to keep my son from this life. And you failed to do so." he said.

"Maybe if you were a good father he wouldn't have been looking for comfort!" Raphael yelled. "You're lucky he told me not to beat your face in!"

"How dare you threaten me?!"

"How dare you neglect him?!"

Asmodeus inhaled, trying his very best to remain calm. He pressed his palms to the edge of the desk. "Who was it who took him? Tell me you know." he stated.

"Lightwood." Raphael said.

Once again, the hand came down. He was backhanded once again. Raphael slapped him back in retaliation. Asmodeus hissed, but was too mad to even compute that hard slap he received. "Lightwood?!" he screamed. "Lightwood!?! He has Magnus?!"

"I'm sorry. I came as fast as I could to inform you."

Asmodeus inhaled. He tapped his fingers against the desk. "You will go to Lightwood as soon as possible and bring my son to me. I will not have this happening again."

Raphael inhaled. "If I do this... you will change your relationship with him. You will be the father that he's wanted. I am done picking-"

"Trust me. That is the one thing that I want to do." he said. "Go. I'll send a plane for you."

Raphael nodded. He rubbed his bruising cheek and turned over and walking out of the office. Asmodeus sighed, sitting down on his desk. He picked up the pistol that he had resting there. He spun the barrel and smiled. Before shooting the window in his frustration.

* * *

Valentine watched his son as he paced around the hall. His stomps were loud. Furious. He was quite intrigued at this kind of anger that was emanating from his son. He had never seen him so upset. So worried. The last time that this had happened was when his sister had been rejected by a boy for prom. He ended up with a broken nose, wrist and his prom suit set aflame. He saw what his son could do. And this was a lot bigger than hurting his sister. Jonathan had feelings for this mundane. For Magnus. Even though he was a Bane and that horrid things could happen to him with a single breath, he had an undying love for him.

And Jonathan wanted nothing but protection for him. Valentine's hands wandered up to his chin, rubbing it in intrigue. What could this bring? It could be good. For him. For his cabal. For his plans. He slowly rose from his seat, walking over to his son. "Trust me." he called without even as much of a hint of greeting. "I am sure that your Magnus is fine."

"He's not mine!" he yelled back. "He's not anyone's!" Valentine quirked up his brow. Jonathan exhaled, rubbing his shoulders. "Sorry... I'm just worried for him."

"Understandable." he said. "Once all of our people are safe from Lightwood's threat, I will send people off to locate him. I doubt that he still has him. He probably threw him into some hospital and gave vague details."

Jonathan exhaled. "I hope so."

Valentine crossed his wrists behind his back. "I've never seen you this way my boy. So angry. So determined."

"I just want him home, safe in his bed." he said to him, turning away from the balcony and looking at his father. "And now all of this. And I can't even send anyone after him because they're still in the tunnels!"

"We will." Valentine said, a sneer forming against his lips. "You know, with this determination-"

"Not now." 

"If not now, then when?"

"I've already told you that this is not a full time thing for me! I'm here to help with simple things. Getting the cops off of your back. Medicine. I am not here to lead this cabal." Jonathan said. "Look, I know that's what you want. But I-"

The door inside of the room slammed opened. The two men turned over, in shock. No one was ever allowed to enter without permission. Especially in such an abrupt way. Two of his followers rushed inside, one of them holding a bloody person in their arms. Valentine's eyes widened, walking over. Jonathan did as well. "What the hell is happening?! How dare-"

"Daniel was thrown out in front of the building sir!" one of them cried.

Jonathan's eyes widened. He moved over, kneeling down. Daniel looked horrible. His clothes were ripped apart, exposing his chest. Dried blood dripped from his mouth down to his chest. He knelt down and looked at him. There were bruises against his cheeks and chest. But he looked over and saw where the damage had been done the most. Three of his bottom teeth were missing. Yanked out from the state of his gums. Jonathan pressed his hand against his cheek, even though he knew that that was where the most pain was, trying to soothe his pain.

Valentine looked down at him. Anger filling in his nostrils. This is what Lightwood had done. To someone who devote his life to protecting him, protecting his children and serving him. He knelt down and pulled him up gently. "What happened?"

"Lightwood... he's... he's fucking crazy..." he said, his voice a bit soft and raspy. "He's... holy shit..."

"What did he do to you?" one of the guards asked him, pulling off his thick sweater and pulling it over Daniel's body.

"He tied me to a chair. He kicked me, punched me. Yanked out one of my teeth and came back for more. He's... he's not at all what I thought. He's ruthless..." he called. "He said you'll never take his place! That you'll never be the head of New York..."

Jonathan looked up at his father. The worry in his face had erupted even more than before. If this is what Lighwood had done to someone who followed his father... what would he have done to Magnus is he knew he was just a Bane? Dear... dear lord. Jonathan inhaled, wiping his nose with his sleeve. He turned to his father. Valentine turned back over to his worker. He rubbed his shoulder before looking up at the two guards. "Take him to one of my guest bedrooms. Call in my doctor." he ordered.

"Yes sir." they responded, picking Daniel up as gently as humanly possible.

Daniel groaned, moving over and gripping one of the men's arms. "My son... please... I wanna see my son again... I wanna make it right... please let me see my son... please! I want to make it right! I want my boy!! Please!!"

His cries were ignored as they brought him out of the room. Jonathan turned over to his father, his face getting red with anger. "Father..." he called.

Valentine inhaled, nodding. "I will release my best men and send them out immediately. They will bring him back safely."

"They better!" he cried, running out of the room in anger.

Valentine kissed his teeth, smiling. This whole Magnus situation might be better than he believed. Better then he hoped.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus learns something about Raphael and something shocking happens afterwards...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you live in New York, you may know what's happening. If you don't, basically the entire city is in a state of emergency for the coronavirus. Which means that I don't have school for like a month and a half.
> 
> If you are like me and you had school or work. I wanna keep you entertained and engaged while stuck inside all day. So, here is one of my favorite chapters of the fic. Hope everyone is doing well and everyone is safe.
> 
> Also! I would like to say that last Saturday's chapter got a lot of comments from you guys! Like, a lot! I am so happy to have your feedback ans hear how excited you are for the next chapter! It was warms my heart! Thank you all! 🧡

Magnus was carried back up to his room after being choked by Alec. He was quite surprised that the guard even offered to carry him instead of shooting him in the side of the neck. Izzy instantly apologized to him, even though she wasn't the one that caused it. The entire way up the steps was her begging him for forgiveness and to disregard Alec's behavior. Magnus instantly forgave her, knowing that she had practically saved him and told her to go on and relax for the rest of the day. Izzy stayed outside of his door though, making sure that he was alright for every second before she had to actually leave. Magnus stayed by the door himself, waiting to hear her footsteps. She eventually left, leaving Magnus to his own devices. He let out an exhale, looking over at the window of his bedroom. If he didn't escape now, then he never would. And he couldn't just stay here in this house. Not with this crazy man in here. Not with this murderer. Magnus slowly limped over towards the window by his bed. It was wide, looked like it might be wide enough for a patio. He pressed his hand against the handle. He pushed down quickly, listening in and hearing a faint click. He smiled, pushing the door opened. Magnus very slowly looked down the glass window.

There was no patio, so the window just led downward towards the gardens where he was before. Somehow, in the night sky, the garden illuminated even more beautifully than before. _Focus Magnus_ , he forced himself to think. _The flowers are literally a last priority now_. He looked over at the vines and the flowers growing around it. He hissed, trying to find where exactly he could go. The cabin seemed to be in the middle of some kind of woods. There were many, many trees around him and the building. The trees might lead on for a bit, but maybe he would be able to limp on until someone found him. There had to be someone searching the woods for danger as their job. Some kind of ranger. Maybe they would find him and just send him home. Magnus inhaled, gripping his crutches. He took a hold of them and threw him over the window. He threw him over just by the grass, away from the concrete by the door and the garden's entrance. It wasn't going to make much of a suspicious noise if it landed on the soft dirt. Magnus was praying and hoping that it wouldn't make any kind of loud sound.

It didn't.

He exhaled, seeing it just fall down against the ground and resting there. The only sound was the wind against the leaves and the drumming of Magnus' overactive heart. He slowly threw his left leg over the window before helping his other one over. It hurt a bit. Gripping his skin and moving it over towards his destination of freedom. But it was better than nothing. Magnus exhaled, looking over to find a way to land without further hurting both of his legs and preventing him from escaping. Magnus turned over at the door, making sure that no one was there. From what he had seen, there were guards almost everywhere. He hoped that no one was going to be outside of the large home and would see his escaping. He slowly inhaled. _It was now or never_ , he said to himself. _Now or never Magnus. Now or never. Just one jump... like Aladdin_. He took in one last breath. Once he jumped down, it was it. Whatever happened was his choice. He slowly fell down and out of the window, moving over so that it would be head first. He very quickly pulled his body to put the weight towards him in a forward motion as his hands moved forward. His hands touched the ground first. Quickly, before all of the weight broke something in his wrists or palms, Magnus moved his lower body forward. His body launched up in a somersault and he landed on his butt. Magnus huffed at the cold around him and smiled. Wow. He did it. He smiled. 

He gave himself a very silent high five because fuck yeah he did the damn thing! And now he was out of there. Magnus slowly forced himself back up, picking up his crutches and slowly moving over to start towards the woods. He made it a couple feet on his broken ankle before he heard something coming from behind. His inhaled sharply, thinking that Alec must have been there and witnessed his escape or someone else discovered him. He turned over quickly, but didn't see anyone. Magnus let out a breath that he was totally unaware he was holding onto. _I think that you're starting to hear things Bane,_ he thought. _There is no one out here. You're being paranoid right now. We need to go._ Magnus was about to make do on his own pep talk, but he noticed something shining on the corner of his eye. Slowly, he turned completely back over and saw a light coming from the side of the manor. He turned over, seeing what seemed like a car or a motor bike. He raised his eyebrow, moving out of the way of the light so that it didn't illuminate him.

He watched as the car pulled over towards the main entrance. The car was driving fast. Almost reckless in a sense. Like it couldn't be bothered to drive safely. Magnus watched, intrigued as it moved to the front of the house. He was just going to turn away, assuming that maybe it was one of Alec's workers just kidnapping someone else. But as the door opened, Magnus had to do a double take. A man walked out of the car. Looking like was on a mission. Ready to do whatever he wanted. But that man was too familiar looking. Pale skin. Dark hair.

"Raphael?" Magnus whispered to himself, watching as his friend walked up to the steps. The doors opened for him. Allowing him in without question. _But why?_ Magnus needed to know why his friend was here. Maybe he was looking for him? Had he found his kidnapper and was here to take him home? Magnus looked back over at the trees that would have been his escape back home. He cursed at himself as he turned away and started to limp back to the front door. Goddamn his escape. Of course his heart of gold had to run and rescue his close friend. He could be getting himself into serious danger and not even realize it. Magnus looked over, seeing four different guards standing at the door. He couldn't go through there. He turned away from the front door, not wanting to alert the guards and end up in held by the neck again by Alec. He hurried back over towards the gardens. He looked in through the wide glass windows, seeing that no one was there but one guard. But she seemed to occupied on the phone. She had a wide smile on her face while speaking to whomever. Once she turned away, Magnus tested if it was locked. It wasn't.

For a place that was supposed to be like a fortress, a lot of things were unlocked. Magnus could have escaped days ago if he really wanted to.

He opened the door and limped inside as quietly as he could. He turned over, seeing the guard had walked away. _Wow, what the hell is going on tonight?_ , he thought once again. He turned over again and limped down the hall, looking for Raphael. Trying to find out if he was alright and if he was safe. Magnus saw a man in a dark jacket walking down the hall. But this time, two men were flanking him. He knew that dark jacket. It was Raphael's. He wore it for three years straight. He was able to recognize some of the wear and tear in the elbows. Magnus quickly hid behind a hallway as they walked past him. Magnus raised his brow. _Why was he here?_ He also noticed how the men weren't holding onto him tightly like when he had been kidnapped. They were just... escorting him. Magnus watched him, slowly moving out from his spot to follow. The three of them made it down the hall and over to a door. One of the guards, who's neck was littered with tattoos, opened the door for Raphael. From his spot, he could see that it was some kind of office. The doors were double and a lot cleaner than the other doors in this hall. He limped over towards another door, leaning against it. No one paid him any mind.

Raphael looked inside of the opened doors, his face conveying nothing at all but anger. Magnus' heart started to hammer when he heard the voice from inside. "Santiago."

_Alec? How did Alec know Raphael?_

Raphael stepped inside of the room, his shoulders still a complete blank stare in his eyes. But Magnus knew that blank stare. That meant that was more pissed off than anything in this world. The guards moved away from the man they were escorting, but for some damned reason in this fortress, the doors remained opened. The two guards turned down the hall and exited, not noticing Magnus and his hiding spot. He set down his crutches slowly, trying not to make any noise. All that came was an almost inaudible thud. Magnus was the only one that heard it. He looked up at the door. He moved over, hiding away from the frame and where it would be visible. He rested his hand against the wall, moving his ear closer.

"I think you can assume why I'm here." Raphael called.

"No. I don't think I can." responded Alec. "Enlighten me."

"I would highly suggest not playing games with me today Lightwood. I am anything but in the mood."

"Because I was totally referring to tying you to my bed and shoving a vibrator down your ass."

"Don't play dumb with me."

"I quite enjoy playing dumb. Rather fun game."

"Where is he you son of a bitch? Where's Magnus."

So Raphael was here for him. Magnus bit his lip. He wanted to call out that he was right outside the door. That he was right there. Raphael could rescue him and this whole nightmare would be over. But Alec spoke before he could, and the words just went right back into his throat.

"Magnus?" he said.

And then paused for a beat.

"I don't know anyone named Magnus."

Magnus shivered as he heard all hell break loose inside of the office. He heard glass start to break and wood slam against wood. He tried his best to stay silent and stay away. But he moved his head over, looking inside of the room. The room was pretty big. The same wood as the halls. There was very little furniture or any sort of decoration inside the room. There was a desk in the middle, a drag carpet on the ground. Multiple bookshelves filled with binders and file cabinets underneath. The one thing that was at all different was the wide window. It looked like ones in churches. The fancy one with glass stained windows. There was a symbol in the middle. They looked very similar to the tattoos on that guard before and on Alec when he had seen him for the first time. But that wasn't what he had been shocked about or focused on. He saw his friend and his captor. Raphael was holding Alec by the neck and he had slammed him down against the desk on his back. Alec stayed still, allowing him. Almost like he was just letting Raphael hold him down. Alec flashed an almost shit eating grin on his face. Raphael was hissing. He always hissed. Like he was a snake or if he was an actual vampire. He gripped onto Alec's neck tightly. "You bastard!" he growled in his face.

"Thanks for the compliment pale face." Alec stated back, before raising his leg and kicking him in the stomach. Raphael fell back, but he still got a punch to his face. Alec's face didn't move that far. It was just a small hit for him. The rings on Raphael's finger didn't even leave a scratch on his cheek.

Alec rubbed the raw skin against his cheek for a second. He kissed his teeth with an almost sadistic smile before he punched Raphael right back. A lot harder than he had punched him. Raphael fell back and crashed into a fake potted plant. "You come here, to my manor and threaten me over someone I don't even know? I really should kill your ass."

"Please..." Raphael called, wiping the blood from the bottom of his jaw as he stood up. "You can't lie to me when you know who I work for."

Alec scoffed. "Tell Bane that he doesn't need to get involved."

"Get involved?!" Magnus heard Raphael scream. "Are you fucking shitting me?! You can play dumn all you wish, but we all know that Magnus is somewhere in here. And fucking trust me, Bane will come after you with everything he's got. Just tell me what cell you're keeping him in and how much you've hurt him, then I can take him homr."

Alec laughed. "I wouldn't ever hurt a mundane. Nice to know you think so highly of me."

"I don't think highly of you. I actually hate you guts. Now, just tell me where he is!" Raphael said. "Where is Magnus?"

"You work for my dad?"

Raphael's eyes widened and he turned over. Alec turned over with him. Magnus stood over the door, leaning a bit from the overuse he used on his bad ankle. Raphael eyed him. "Mag-"

"You work... for my dad..." he called. "The one I never see."

"Magnus-" Raphael called.

"What are you doing here?" Alec stated, rubbing his neck.

Magnus ignored him. He looked down at Raphael. Tears started to fill his eyes. He thought that this was all some kidnapping accident. That he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. But this was so much more. And it all was about him. And it was ruining him. Magnus swallowed the rising bile in his throat. Tears fell down his cheeks. "Say it." he stated, trying so hard to strong.

Raphael sighed. "Please. Let me explain."

"Just... just say it to me." Magnus stated. "Say that and nothing more."

Raphael exhaled. "I... I do. I work-"

Magnus scoffed, covering his mouth to hide his sobs. Alec looked over at him. Seeing the way that was close to falling. He loomed closer, to try and help him. He understood how he felt. He understood the pain that Magnus was feeling. The way that his life was changing was unknowing and almost unacceptable. It was terrifying. Magnus couldn't do anything to change it. To change how his normal life was seen and how he will never ever be able to get it back. And now he was watching all of this unfold in front of him. Seeing the lies being unraveled. Feeling the pain of uncharted information. He wanted to help Magnus. He didn't deserve this. He slowly moved to touch his shoulder. Magnus stepped away from him. "Stay... stay away from me!" he yelled. "Don't! Both of you! Stay back! Stay away from me..."

Magnus sobbed again, turning away and running as fast as he could on his one good leg. Raphael screamed after him, moving over to try and grab him. Alec grabbed him by the waist, flipping him over his shoulder and slamming him down on the ground. He pressed against his back with his boot. "GUARD!" he yelled.

It took only a second at the call of their leader. Four of his guards ran inside of the room and held Raphael down against the ground. He screamed and thrashed. But the strength of Alec's inferiors were better than any one in this life. They held him down to the ground, one taking his head and slamming him down to the ground. Alec looked down at him and looked back out the door. "BASTARD! YOU MOTHERFUCKER, GET OFF OF ME!" he screamed.

Alec turned over to his guards. "Take him to a cell. Lock him up!" he screamed, moving over and taking off down the hall. He looked over and yelled out. "Stop! Magnus, wait!"

He didn't see anything as he pushed out of his office. He didn't find Magnus. He screamed out for him again, running over to try and find him. He sprinted down the hall way and looked through each door. When he opened it, it was always an empty room or a closet. He kept running, looking over for Magnus. He sprinted down the hall again, seeing that the garden door had been pulled wide opened. The cold wind had been flowing inside of the room and now there was a bit of snow on the ground. He cursed, turning away from the door. He didn't need to get involved. If he ran off that was fine. He didn't...

"Fuck." he growled, turning over and running over.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He needed a break. Or to find someone. Magnus didn't know how much longer he could physically hold on for

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have had a LOT of free time as of recently. My high school is closed because of COVID19 and I am taking part in remote learning. As a result, I have not SAT, ACT or long classes in the day. Which also means that I have tons of chapters being written and at the ready!
> 
> And what would that also mean?!
> 
> I'm going start updating a fuck ton more!!!!
> 
> 🥳🥳🎉🎊🥂🥳🥳
> 
> I am still currently working in chapter 25 and editing my outline, so I'm thinking maybe when I get to chapter thirty or so (which isn't as far as you think) I'll post on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Or Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Whichever one you all like best! Let me know!! Enjoy 💙

Life was something that Magnus thought that he knew. He thought that he had everything figured out. A horrible father but friends that loved him. Dreams that would slowly become his reality. But now, of course, this wasn't at all what he expected. He had been lied to. All his life. And all of this because of an accidental kidnapping. Magnus huffed as he frustratingly wiped the falling tears as he ran. He had forgotten the crutches and he was doing his best to prevented himself from falling during his sprints. He was getting the hell out of here. He was leaving this place and restarting. Probably off of a cliff. Maybe Milwaukee. But he wanted to be literally anywhere bother where he was right now. He leaned against a tree, biting his lip and grunting in pain. He looked down at his leg. He couldn't see the bruises because of the bandage that was wrapped around it. But he could faintly see a bit of throbbing skin underneath. He inhaled, before taking off again.

He had been friends with Raphael for years. They were close. Almost like brothers. How could he not see that none of that was genuine? That Raphael was just working for his father. But then again, why would he threaten Asmodeus and comfort him for all those years? Magnus scoffed at himself for even trying to defend him. He meant nothing to him anymore. Nothing. He slowed down, looking behind him. No one was going to follow him and if anyone was, they wouldn't catch up to him this far in. He leaned against another tree, raising his leg and looking at it. It did hurt. Like hell. But he needed to relax. Slowly, he leaned down onto the ground below. He picked up a large twig that had fallen and used it to help him walk and limp. He slowly got back into a comfortable pace, keeping up with his breathing and going deeper into the woods. It was dark, but New York didn't really have wild animals. Unless he wasn't in New York. Magnus inhaled sharply. He now realized that he was never told where he was being kept. He could be in a completely different state. Our country. He gripped the stick more fiercely. What was going to happen to him out here? He forced himself to take a deep breath. _Everything will be fine_ , he thought. _We'll be home free sooner than you think_.

He slowly started to walk again. The only sound around him was the wind howling against the trees and his labored breathing. He shivered, rubbing his shoulders. He didn't bring a jacket or blanket in his escape. He wished that he had least asked for a long sleeve shirt. It didn't matter. If he got sick, it would better for him to be sick and safe in a police station or hospital than with that Alec guy and his ex friend. He turned over, looking for some kind of road or some kind of landmark that would inform him where civilization was. The walk went on for what felt like hours on his injured ankle. It was only about twenty minutes in reality. He inhaled, rubbing his lips together.

He needed a break. Or to find someone. Magnus didn't know how much longer he could physically hold on for. He stopped suddenly, seeing a bright light in front of him. Bright yellow.

He smiled. Finally. People. Someone who wasn't some murderer.

He cried out, waving his hands towards the light. In response, the guy waved back. Magnus could have started sobbing right then and there. Freedom. It was so close that he could almost taste it. He limped closer, seeing more hands to wave from side to side and illuminate the landscape around him. More people. Was he in fucking heaven? Finally, Magnus met a face. A face that he had never seen before. This was better than seeing Alec or his guards. A stranger could lead him to safety. Magnus fell down finally, the pain in his leg becoming too much too fast. The man's eyes widened and he ran over to him, holding him gently and positioning him against his lap. Magnus shivered, holding his fists to his lips. "Are you alright?" he cried, looking down at Magnus. 

"Please... please..." Magnus shivered. "Please help me."

"Mason! Jacket!" the screamed, snapping his fingers.

Another man around them instantly pulled off his bomber jacket. He knelt down beside Magnus and wrapped it over his shoulders. It was warm. Insulated. Magnus rubbed its sleeves. The other man held him gently by the shoulder before grabbing his phone. Magnus leaned into the touch. It was comforting. The most comfort that he had gotten in the whole span of time that he had been here. He pulled the jacket closer. His eyes wandered, looking down and seeing something against the chest pocket of the bomber jacket. It was a circle. A silver circle. Like Alec had talked about. Magnus raised his eyebrow and looked at it. A silver circle. The same that Alec had been talking about. With the Morgensterns.

His eyes wandered up, seeing everyone surrounding him bore the same symbol. They all had red tattoos against their skin. The man, Mason, who had given him the jakcet had one against his collarbone. Magnus sat up, fear taking him. This didn't feel right. Something felt wrong. The man who he was laying against looked up, putting his phone down. "Relax. You're safe. You're safe now Magnus."

Magnus inhaled, slowly moving away again. "H-How do you know my name?"

The men looked over at each other. Magnus slowly moved further away. Another one held out his hand. "You have nothing be afraid of."

"S-Stay back." Magnus called. "Please."

"Get it over with." another guy called. "Morgenstern will thank us later."

They all nodded in agreement, slowly moving in. The man with the phone took a hold of his wrist. Rather tightly. Magnus cried out, raising his stick and hitting him in the face. He fell back. The rest turned over. "He said not to hurt him." one of them states as a warning.

"But bringing him in was a requirement." another chimed in.

"Just knock him out."

"No, please..." Magnus cried. Two of them grabbed him by the arms, tightly. Magnus screamed. One of them cursed, slapping his hand over his mouth. That same man grabbed wretched his arms behind his back, holding him tightly. Magnus screamed in shock and pain.

"Easy... easy... easy..." the man whispered in his ear, his voice very deep to match his macho and buff body. Magnus thrashed and fought him. "Easy there. Easy there."

"It's going to have the opposite effect dipshit." one of the others snapped, looking over at Magnus. "Please relax. Please. We're here to help."

 _Help my dick_ , Magnus thought. Knowing that he couldn't say it out loud. He struggled again, but the man held him tighter. He was forced as still as a statue. The other man picked up his phone again and started to speak into it. Magnus stayed still, scared of what was going to happen to him if he attempted any form of escape. He slowly started to relax, trying to trust that they were in fact trying to help him.

His ears perked up, hearing some humming and whirring in the distance. Was it a car that they had brought? Maybe it was really safe with them. But then again, they didn't seem to notice the sound. They were preoccupied with trying to keep Magnus as calm as possible. He moved over, signaling his calmness. The man set him down on the ground, lacing his hand on his shoulder. "Calm?" he asked.

Magnus looked out at the distance. He nodded. The sound was slowly starting to get louder and louder. He hugged himself as the sound started to alert the men around him. They stood up, looking out towards the trees. One moved in, going into his jeans and pulling out a gun. Magnus shivered, seeing it. The man with his hand on his shoulder picked up his own gun. Pointing it out into the distance. _Why does everyone carry? Who are you Mr. Smith?,_ Magnus thought to himself. Mason looked out. He stood there for two seconds before gunshots rang. Magnus screamed in shock as about six bullets penetrated his chest. He fell back into the grass. He was dead in seconds. Magnus screams in terror. The other men stood up, raising their own guns. The man with his hand on Magnus pulled him up, pushing him behind him. 

Magnus watched from behind his huge shoulder. From the trees arrived the vehicle that he had seen. It was a motorcycle. Or maybe a dirt bike. But it looked expensive and impressive. The bike rode into the wooded thicket. The man on the bike hoppes off of it, throwing off his helmet in rage. Magnus was quite surprised to see that it was Alec. The same Alec that held him hostage. He threw down the gun in his hands and picked up another from inside his boot, shooting at two men at the same time. The clip was emptied into their legs. They screamed falling down. Alec jumped from the bike, moving to grab another clip of bullets. There were three men left. Two of which were trying to sneak behind Alec. The other trying to pull Magnus as far away as possible. He protested immediately, sensing danger coming.

Alec turned over, seeing one of Morgenstern's men coming behind him. He scoffed as the bullets flew towards him. Two entered his shoulders. But the rest just flew by him. He raised his gun and shot the man in the head. No one shot at him, managed to hit him, and lived to tell the tale. He turned over, seeing the other man. He quickly grabbed his wrist, pulling the gun away from him. He shot into the sky. The man screamed, struggling to get a hit in. Magnus watched intently. Almost mesmerized. The man raised his leg to kick Alec in the stomach. But Alec grabbed him by the ankle, twisting him in the air before causing him to fall. The man fell down with a thud, and not only that but with his ankle broken. Magnus hissed, looking down at his own injured ankle. _I feel you man._

Alec scoffed at him, shooting him in the head. Blood spattered against his face. The man holding Magnus shoved him to the ground, moving forward towards Alec to protect him. They met eyes and gripped their guns tightly. The man hissed, immediately aiming, taking a shot and shooting Alec in the stomach. But Alec just stood still, looking over at him. Eyeing him. Like lion on a gazelle The man growled, shocked that the man wasn't dead. He moved to take another shot. But Alec did something unexpected. He just threw his gun at him. It hit him in the forehead, causing him to drop the gun and hold his injury. Alec raised his second gun and shot him in the legs as well. The rest of his bullets went through his thighs and ankles. He screamed, falling down.

Magnus stood there, looking over at Alec. Wow. He had just saved him. In a strangely admirable way. Alec was breathing heavily. He dropped his gun. His eyes wandered over to Magnus. "Are you hurt?"

Magnus took a few moments to find his words. He exhaled. "N-N-No... no...no."

Alec nodded. "Good." Before slowly he fell down to the ground.

Magnus gasped seeing him faint. In a shocked instance he attempted turning over and running. This was his chance. He had to get out of here. He grabbed onto a tree, looking out the forest around him. A couple of hours of running wouldn’t bother him at all. It would all be worth it in the end. Once he was free. But, his heart started to beat. Very slowly, he turned back over seeing Alec. All the damage he endured for him. Magnus could hear the labored breathing of him. He had been shot three times. Once in the stomach, twice near his shoulders. He would die soon if it turns out that the bullets were still inside of his skin.

Magnus held onto the tree, exhaling. Freedom was just a couple of steps away. He would be free soon. He would be safe soon. But… but he couldn’t. He couldn’t just leave him. Magnus stomped his good foot. “Dammit Bane.” he said to himself, moving over.

He limped back down the small hill that he had run up and towards Alec. He fell down onto his ass, looking down at his ankle. Slowly, he unwrapped the bandage around his own injury. He looked over at Alec. Slowly, he pulled back the jacket against his skin. His t-shirt had been ripped from the bullet's penetration. Magnus looked around the ground. He smiled, seeing two bloody bullets. They weren’t stuck in his skin. But it seemed that a bullet might be stuck inside of his stomach. Magnus held onto his belly.

Alec hummed, looking up over and at Magnus. He had been losing a lot of blood and his vision was blurring. He watched as Magnus started pulling off his shirt. Alec eyes widened, but his body shut down before he could open his mouth. His head leaned back, his eyes rolling to the back of his head. Magnus didn’t notice or see as he pressed the shirt to one of his shoulder wounds. He looked over at Alec, seeing how he stayed under. He shivered as a cold gust of wind hit his bare skin. Magnus huffed. He needed to get the damned bullet out. There was only two that fully went out. The only one that could still be lodged inside was the one inside of his stomach, as there was no similar sized hole in his back. The skin was so deep. Magnus inhaled, moving over to find something to pierce it with. He looked around, trying to find something a bit sharp. He turned over, turning to the passed out man. He ran over to him, patting him down desperately.

He felt something thick against his jacket. A wallet. He pulled out and searched through it. God must have been on his side. He felt something else inside of it. A very thin pocket knife. Of course an assassin or hitman would have a pocket knife with him. Magnus pulled it out of it's confines and made his way back over to Alec. He exhaled looking down at the wound. This was going to hurt like hell when Alec awoke. He dug the blade into the wound and slowly pried the skin apart, looking inside of him. The bullet rested right there. Covered in blood. It didn't go through into his stomach lining, but rested against the surface of the skin. As he pried out the bullet, he noticed all of the tattoos against Alec's skin and the scars and bruises. It looked like an abstract painting against his pale skin.

He yanked the bullet out and looked down. Now he needed to sew up his skin or else he would continue to bleed out. Magnus started to yank at the fabric of his shirt, pulling out the loose string. It would make due until he had official medical equipment to help him. He slowly pierced the skin with the knife and pulled it together with the thin fabric. It looked fine for now. But he was able to keep the blood from pooling. Magnus shivered as he looked down at the blood against his hands. His heart was beating hard. All of this... all of this for this one man. The man that almost choked him to death and the man that was holding him hostage. Magnus wiped the blood off as much as he could onto his pants, not wanting it to dry on his hands or on his shirt. He tied the bandage over his stomach, holding in his makeshift stitches.

He moved his hands underneath of Alec's body, rubbing him to comfort him before pulling him up. Alec seemed almost as strong as an ox. As for Magnus, he wasn't that strong. He had a strong looking body, but not in comparison to unconscious-abs-magee. He pulled him up and dragged him as best as he could over his shoulder. He had to run back where he had come in order to save him. He bit his lip as the pressure against his leg became all too much. He had put too much pressure against his shoulder that went down to his walking and now without the bandage, he was pretty sure that he had rebroken his bone. But he needed to continue. Alec started to moan in the hold after ten minutes of Magnus' unstoppable running. He pressed his hands against the back, leaning up. He looked over, seeing what was happening. Magnus shirtless and carrying him. He once again tried to open his mouth, but fell silent as his body went limp and unconscious. Magnus ran through the trees, finding the trail that he had run through before.

He looked over, seeing and hearing some people speaking. He couldn't hear what he himself had said from the ringing in his eyes. His eyes met a similar blonde and a beautiful woman. He fell down, his eyes rolling to the back of his head. Alec tumbling with him.

_Did I save him?_

_Did I make it?_


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec wakes up after having his life saved by Magnus
> 
> And he is quite shocked to what Magnus had done for him when it ended up terribly for him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm halfway done with the story. This quarantine thing hasn't been all bad. Remote learning isn't terrible. And my fingers run all over the keys like I'm The Flash! I'm so excited! I'm posting tomorrow and Friday just like last time!! 💜💜💜💜

The world seemed to be spinning a bit when he woke up. Alec hummed, moving over to the side. He felt some slight pain in his side. He groaned. There was light pain in not only his side but it was also in his stomach. His hands moved over, touching his left shoulder. His hands pressed up against something cushiony. He sat up, looking over. There was thick bandages against his shoulders. He could see a hint of blood shining through the bandage's materiel. Alec raised his eyebrows, noticing and remembering what had happened to him. The woods. The fights. The bullets. He sat up, his blanket falling off of his chest. He felt a comforting hand against his back and chest, slowly pushing him back to the pillows.

"...lax...can...Alec?"

"He...I...mom..."

Alec couldn't hear everything. It was coming in in parts. He hummed, closing his eyes and going back into unconsciousness. He felt a comforting hand against his cheek before he fully went under.

* * *

The next time he woke up, he felt a bit better. He wasn't as warm as before and there wasn't as much confusion clouding his head. He opened his eyes, looking over. His vision was still a bit blurry. He felt something press against his lips. He tried to push it away, but his head was pulled towards it. He stopped fighting, feeling warm tea start to slide down his throat. Comforting the rawness he felt. His head was cradled gently.

"How...Alec? Can you... me?"

Alec hummed, nodding. He slurred his words, trying to say barely.

He felt a comforting kiss against his cheek before he leaned back down. He finished the tea and the blankets was pulled back up to his neck. Alec hummed again, moving over and resting against his pillows. He felt himself slowly falling back to unconsciousness. It was comforting this time to fall asleep. Not just against his will.

* * *

The last time he woke up, he forced himself to stay awake. He needed to. He hummed, moving one hand against his forehead. He sat up, resting against one of his elbows. He looked over to his side, seeing two people resting. One was his mother, covered in a blanket and snoring softly. Alec smiled. His mother always worried about him and if he even got a paper cut. She coddled him. She must have been the one to serve him some tea. Maryse was the best parent in the world. No one could ever compare to how wonderful she was. He looked over and saw Jace leaning against his bed, snoring as loud as a bear. He chuckled, moving off of the bed to see the extent of his injuries. He walked to the full length mirror against his closet door. He saw that the bandages before were gone and it was just two gauzes against his two shoulders. And on his stomach as a thick bandage. But as he pulled it back to look, he saw that it had been sewn shut.

He raised his eyebrow. It wasn't Cat that had-

Magnus. It had to be Magnus. Magnus had saved his life.

He turned over, moving over to the door. He quickly sprinted through the halls, looking for the room that Magnus had been placed inside of. His guards raised their eyebrows, wanting to make sure that he was alright and that he wasn't harmed too terribly. But he shoved passed them, moving down the steps. He looked over, raising his own brows as he heard desperate and harsh coughing fits. He walked over to the door where Magnus was. It was opened slightly, wanting to peer through. There was no one inside of the bed. But he saw Magnus sitting in one of the chairs in the corner. He was covered in thick blankets. He clutched the blankets, coughing hard into a napkin. Hunching forward from the force of his cough His tan skin was sickly pale and he looked like he hadn't slept. There were two people kneeling in front of him. One was Izzy, rubbing Magnus' knee.

He coughed hard, shivering as soon as he did. The other person, which who seemed to be Cat, moved up and pressed his hand against his cheek. She exhaled, telling something to Izzy before turning over. His eyes widened, seeing Alec. "Alec..." she called.

Izzy turned over. Her eyes widened, walking over to him as her eyes welled with tears. "Oh Alec!" she cried. "I thought you weren't going to wake up!"

She hugged him gently, rubbing the back of his neck. Alec looked out at Magnus. He was shivering as he looked up at him. "What happened?" Alec asked, walking over to him and kneeling down beside him. 

"What's happening is that you shouldn't be on your feet? Are you crazy?!" she yelled, pushing him as gently but as roughly as she possibly could out the door. "You just got shot three times and you were in the cold. You need rest. Lots and lots of rest. And maybe a shower. You should-"

"Cat." Alec snapped, shutting her up. He held his hands out, trying to show her that she was alright. "I got it. I'll get it. I'll be more careful."

"Careful isn't the issue here Alec. Isabelle, would you bring a robe or sweater here please?" Izzy nodded, moving over to do as she was asked. Cat sighed/ "And you know that that isn't the issue. You need to be resting right now."

"I will be fine Cat. I just want to check on him and see if he's okay. There is no need to worry"

"I think that I've earned the right to. Because every single time you get hurt, I have to pick up the pieces. And you know that Izzy gets worried way too much about you."

"I didn't go out there on purpose." Alec said to her, sighing and rubbing his arms.

Izzy quickly moved back inside of the room, disregarding what was just said and holding a soft robe in her hands. She helped her brother inside of the soft robe. Alec gave her a thankful smile, pressing a comforting kiss to her temple. He knew how worried she gets. She never really was involved in this kind of life. But every single time he left, she was always worried that something terrible would happen to him.

That she might never see him again and it might be the end of their relationship from an argument or something else. Alec hugged her. "I'm fine." he told her. "I'm fine, I promise you."

"It was very heroic of you to go out there." his sister said to him. "I'm glad that you saved him... well... kind of..."

"Now can you answer my question? Is Magnus okay?"

"No. I will not answer your questions. I need to get this through your thick skull." Cat snapped back to him.

Alec scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Can you please... I am fine. Really. I am going to go back to my room. Okay? I just... wanted to-"

"You wanted to see if he was still alive. Didn't you?"

"I did. I had to make sure that he didn't himself or kill himself out there. I didn't even know that he needed rescuing. I wanted to make sure that he was okay."

"You literally brought a gun with you." Izzy interjected, taking Cat's side when it came to the health and safety of her big brother.

"I bring a gun everywhere. And I didn't know that Morgenstern's goons would be after him. It's a good thing a brought a gun."

"You had like two!"

"I always carry two! You know how my life is Cat. Iz. And it's a good thing that I did. He's okay now... right? Tell me that he is! Damn!"

Cat rolled her eyes, exhaling. "When you got shot, he could have ran away and left you. Then you could have bled out. But he saved you. He removed a bullet that was still lodged inside of your stomach. And he ran for almost twenty minutes to escape and then twenty minutes back to get you to safety." Cat told him. "He carried you and the cold got to him. And with no jacket the first time and no shirt the second time, he got terribly sick."

"Why didn't he have a shirt? I understand the jacket but-"

"He took it off to press it against your wound." Isabelle explained. "There were no bullets lodged in your shoulders, but he kept the cloth there to keep you from bleeding out."

Alec looked over at him through the door. He didn't notice before, he saw a tight black cloth wrapped over his eyes. Magnus let out an ugly cough. Alec walked inside of the room. "Why is he blindfolded?" he asked.

"He insisted that we do it." Izzy answered, standing right behind him.

"Why?" he asked, turning over to Magnus. Magnus coughed into his tissue again, leaning in forward. Alec pressed a gentle hand against his back, rubbing it. Magnus continued coughing. "Magnus... Magnus... can you hear me?"

"He probably can't." Cat answered. "He's very sick right now and only just woke up. We moved him over to the chair to try and feed him. He's barely been conscious."

Magnus coughed again, leaning down against the seat. Alec looked over at him, seeing how he looked and probably felt like complete death. Completely pale. Veins visible. His lips dry yet wet at the same time from his coughing. Alec looked back over at the two medical professionals. "What about his ankle?"

"He broke it again." Izzy answered, looking down and rubbing his lips together.

"What?!" Alec called, looking down. Magnus previously injured ankle was thickly wrapped up. All the way up to the knee. It was being rested against an ottoman. "How did... how did this happen?"

"He ran for so long going into the woods. After you saved him, he wrapped your wound with his bandage." Cat answered. "The three places that were previously broken ended up breaking once again from the pressure of carrying you back. A bit worse for wear then when he first arrived."

"How long has he been like this?" he asked.

"Since you've been out?" Izzy asked. He nodded. "Four days..."

Magnus swayed a bit. Cat moved over and checked his temperature with the back of her hand. "Isabelle, could you get some ice water? We need to have him drink it before he goes back to sleep."

She nodded, getting up and rushing out of the door. As she ran out, Jace ran over. He looked out of breath. "Alec!" he called. "There you are! I got so scared when I didn't see you in bed! Thank God mom wasn't... okay, okay! Come on. Come on. Back to bed with you."

Alec was pulled slowly up from his under arms. He tried to push back, but his shoulders were still sore. He hissed. As soon as the sound came out of his mouth, Cat moved over to him. "To bed with you Lightwood." she said.

"Aren't you afraid that he'll kill you for telling him what to do?" Jace asked, jokingly.

"I save his life like every Thursday. If I'm dead, he's dead." she replied.

"Will he be okay?" Alec asked, turning over to her again.

"He will be. He just needs some time to rest. Just like you." Cat said. "Jace, get him to bed please."

"Gladly." Jace said, slowly pushing him out. Alec's eyes moved over back towards the chair where Magnus was seated. Alec shoved himself off of his brother and walked over to him. He knelt down beside him and placed a hand on his knee.

"Thank you." he said. "For saving my life."

Magnus couldn't really respond, as he went back into a coughing fit. Jace helped him back up and they left the room. Alec looked down, almost in a bit of sadness. Magnus had wasted his time and risked his ability to walk and run just to save his life. He rescued him. And now here he was. Sick terribly and another injured ankle. All because of him. Jace held him as they walked over towards the store. Alec held his arm up, slamming Jace's chest and stopping him from walking. He stopped, raising his eyebrow. "Raphael..." he called.

"What about him?" Jace asked.

"Where is he?"

"In the cells? Why?"

"Has he been touched? Fed?"

"Some of your men roughed him up a bit. But other than that, he's been left alone."

"Feed him." he stated.

"What? Why?"

"Because I said so. He'll need his strength when I deal with him. Now. I'm going to bed. Feed him. And... keep some guards at Magnus' door."

"Alright." Jace said to him with a nod, moving over and taking his brother by the arm. "Come on. I've got you bud. I've got you."

Alec exhaled, nodding. He followed his brother, but his eyes kept on wandering over towards Magnus' door.

* * *

The next time that he woke up, he felt a lot better. There was barely any pain around him. Just a faint ache in his back from being in bed for so long. Alec wasn't one to sleep in and just hang out in bed for long. He constantly woke up when he was supposed to and went to bed usually later. He hummed, slowly raising himself up from the pillows. He sighed, rubbing the inner corners of his eyes. He turned over, seeing his mother beside his bed. She was folding together clothing in a haste. Alec raised his eyebrow. "Ma?" he called.

Maryse turned over, sighing. "Good morning sweet pea." she called, sitting beside him and kissing his cheek.

"There's no need to worry about me mom. I'm alright. I'm better now." he said to her. "And please don't get so worked up. I'm still alive, aren't I?"

"You could have died though. You know not to joke to me about that kind of stuff! I was worried off my ass!"

"Cursing? I really must have worried you."

"Alexander!!"

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry mom." he called, hugging her by the waist and kissing her cheek. "I'm alright. I promise. I'm so sorry to worry you."

Maryse smiled. She moved over, picking up a mug. "It's okay. I kind of expect it know with this whole... life."

"You shouldn't have to get used to it."

"I know. I know." she said said, moving over to the bedside dresser. "I know that Cat bans you from caffeine whenever you get shot. But I brought you some decaf."

"Thanks ma." he called to her, picking up the warm mug and taking a sip. No even wincing from the hot liquid against his tongue. "Where's Jace and Iz?"

"Jace is outside. I told him to go away so that I could keep my eye on you." she stated. Alec chuckled. His mother rarely cursed. But once she got mad, scared or overwhelmed, the words just slowly started to slip out. "And Isabelle is with Magnus."

"Magnus..." he gasped, eyes widening. "How is he?! Is he better?"

"Slow down. Slow down. Slow down." she called. "I haven't gone to see him. Cat and Izzy are trying to take care of him, so he's on quarantine for a bit until he's able to breathe and his leg is set."

Alec exhaled, looking down at his mug. He stared at the abyss of dark coffee. "Mom, he... he saved my life. When he didn't have to. He could have left. But he didn't. He saved my life."

"I am aware." she said with a smile. "When he brought you here, Cat said that the stitches were close to professional. That was what saved you."

"Why would he do that?"

"Do what my dear?"

"Save me. He didn't have to."

Maryse simply shrugged her shoulders. "Sometimes, people just do things for no reason or explanation. It is just who they are." she said. "He has a heart of gold that one. That's obvious."

Alec set down his coffee mug. "Have you been taking care of things?"

"Uh yes?"

"Can you do it for today was well?"

"Of course sweet pea. But why?"

"He saved my life mom." he answered, getting up from the bed and moving to the bathroom. "I can't just sit here and act like that doesn't mean anything."


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rule of thumb for the crime cabals of New York is if someone saves your life, no matter what, you owe them. Good or bad. You owe them.
> 
> And now Alec owes Magnus. And he needs to get it through his thick goddamn skull.

Let it be known to everyone, Alexander Lighwtood was a ruthless killer. He was a cabal leader. He ran the city. He protected it. He snapped necks of people that deserved it and shot bullets without a second thought.

He wasn't one to cook often!

Everyone should know that! He had people to cook for him. He had people that would bring him food as peace offerings or as pleas for their lives. Alec didn't have to cook for himself when there was an endless supply of _don'tkillmeIminnocent_ casserole. But then again, he knew how to do it. His mother taught him. It was a life skill she said when he was younger. He knew how to do it. But in this life, he never really had to do it. Which was probably why it seemed so shocking when he kicked people out of his vast kitchen. And probably why it seemed so alien to his guards when they saw him moving about the kitchen. No one watched for long, knowing that if Lightwood caught so much of a glance at someone staring at him, they would be dead by sunset.

Alec himself was quite shocked and dumbfounded finding himself there in the kitchen. He was usually in here for some coffee, maybe he could cook himself something quick like some simple pasta. Oe most often than not he would raid the cabinet filled with candy before Izzy even knew there was some to raid. He himself never often cooked. But for the sick man that had just saved his life, he had to. Magnus had rescued him. Magnus had broken his leg again just to get him back to where he would be safe and treated. Alec looked over at the pot, seeing everything simmering and cooking perfectly. He exhaled, moving back over and picking up a spoon. He quickly mixed it all together.

The rule of thumb for the crime cabals of New York is if someone saves your life, no matter what, you owe them. Good or bad. You owe them. Alec had seen it all over the place. Lives saved by enemies. By lovers. By civilians and mundanes. And Alec had his life saved by the man that had accidentally kidnapped. He looked at the soup that was cooking. Magnus had not only broken his ankle once again, but he had gotten terribly sick. All for him.

From what Jace had told him, he was supposed to become a doctor but he was a writer. His main job was as an assistant teacher at an elementary school and a science teacher at a middle school. Heart of gold towards others. And even though he hated Alec for keeping him prisoner, he had ran through the trees surrounded them and their cabin just to get him to safety. Quickly, Alec poured some soup into a bowl. It was one of the nice ones that his mother received as a birthday gift. It seemed like the best bowl to use to make amends. Added everything onto a tray and slowly moved out of the kitchen.

All eyes were on him as he walked. Why was he doing this? Surely he should be resting? Or maybe just have a maid do it for him? One stare of Alec's cold eyes made all of the gossip stop. Alec continued towards Magnus' door, two of his best guards there. "Ladies." he greeted.

They both gave smiled and nodded their head in a respectable manner. "Lightwood."

"Go." he said. "I can take it from here."

The both nodded, moving away as fast as possible. Alec slowly walked to the door, knocking lightly with his elbow as to not drop what was in his hands. The door opened slowly, only a tad. Izzy looked over to him. "Oh... hello." she said. "You're feeling better."

"Hi Iz." he said. "Is... Is Magnus in there?"

"No." she stated, simply. "He's actually in the shower right now."

"Oh. Well, do you mind maybe leaving?"

"Leaving why? I'm taking care of him."

"I know. But I just want to speak with him."

"After a shower?"

"Isabelle."

Izzy chuckled, poking his nose and looking over at him. "Well, you're lucky that Cat left for a couple of hours to get some clothes for him." she said, opening the door. "Don't be a douche. I'll be back after I change my makeup."

"You look beautiful."

"No. I'm wearing orange eyeshadow. I need blue."

Alec chuckled. He watched as she strutted out of the room like a superstar. He walked inside of the room, seeing how different it looked. The sheets had been changed and they were silk white with peachy pillows. The blankets had been replaced and probably being cleaned as he thought to himself. He set down the tray and looked around the room. He heard the slight sound of running water, knowing for sure now that it was Magnus' shower. The slight scent of green apple and jasmine flowers hit his nose. 

He looked over, seeing an IV bag resting against one of the room's chairs. He didn't see any crutches. The last time, he had seen Magnus with crutches the last time. But now, he had no idea what was going to happen with Magnus now that his leg had truly endured trauma. He heard the door open and he turned over. Magnus was slowly trying to hobble out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist. Alec instantly moved over, his hands going over to support him if he had fell. Magnus looked over at him. His eyes widened in shock. He jumped back a bit, losing his footing. He swayed to the right, but Alec caught him. Without almost no attempt at all. He wrapped a firm hand around his waist and pulled him up to his one good foot again. Magnus held onto the taller man's shoulder as he attempted to find his place.

Alec pulled him tightly. So that their chests were pressing up against each other. Alec watched him. Magnus was looking down the entire time. Trying to focus on staying completely still. Or maybe just avoiding him? Slowly, Alec helped Magnus move over towards the bed. He helped Magnus sit down against the bed and knelt down beside him. Magnus turned away, searching for some kind of cloth to cover his eyes. Alec huffed, moving over and placing his hand over Magnus. "Stop." he said. 

Simple, stern and abrupt. Magnus stilled, a shiver racking across his body. Alec got up, moving over and grabbing one of the soft, thick, clean blankets from the dresser. The folding was his mother's mercy. He wrapped the blankets over his shoulder. Magnus sighed, giving a greatful smile. "Thanks." he said.

"Cat went to go and get you some clothes that would fit you properly." Alec said to him. "Isabelle will be right back though. There should be some underwear here for you to put on though."

Magnus nodded. Alec stood up, grabbing one from the drawer and handed it to him. He turned over, giving him the privacy. Magnus stood up slowly, putting them on. Alec exhaled, awaiting for the go ahead to turn over. He hissed, trying to move his leg over in to the underwear. "Do you need some help?" Alec called.

"No... no, I'm alright." he said to him.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah... yeah..."

Magnus turned around as soon as he was done. It was only a couple of seconds to put them on. He sat back down against the bed as carefully as he could with his leg wrapped up as much as it was and he started wrapping the blanket over himself. Alec turned over towards him again, having a feeling that he was done.

He walked over to the tray he had set down and moved it closer to Magnus. Magnus eyed the tray, a bit confused. Had Izzy put it there? Then again, from what he had heard from Maryse and Cat, Isabelle can't cook to save her life. "I thought that you might like some soup. It's chicken. I hope you're not vegan or anything." Alec stated, sensing the confusion from the look on his face.

Magnus licked his lips. He moved over, pulling off the plastic bag around his cast. "Thank you."

"If anything, I should be thanking you." Alec said. "You... you saved my life."

"You kinda saved mine first."

"Well, did you need saving really? I might have just killed some guys for no reason."

"I did. Thank you."

Alec nodded. He dragged the chair over towards Magnus and sat down. "I appreciate what you did for me. You could have left me there to die."

"After you killed like six guys for me? I don't think I could have. I owed you."

"But now your ankle is broken. Severely more than before."

Magnus rolled his eyes. "A broken ankle is nothing compared to the guilt that I would have felt if I left you out there to die." he explained, spooning some soup into his mouth.

"I appriecate it. I came to thank you, but... you were still pretty sick."

"I am still sick. Better now. Catarina and Isabelle are a medical dynamic duo."

Alec let out a faint chuckle. It was barely even audible. He turned, seeing Magnus look down again. His eyes were closed. "Open your eyes." he said in the same stern tone. Magnus slowly opened them. "Why do you do that?"

Magnus chewed on his lip. "I...I um..."

"You should stop chewing your lip for one. It'll make it chapped and dry. " Alec said to him.

Magnus found himself stopping. "You... you wanted me to."

"Wanted to what?"

"You wanted me to keep myself blindfolded. I knew when I woke up, even though I was high on medication, knowing that I needed to do that. So I covered my eyes."

"Magnus, you didn't have to do that. In fact, you don't have to do that at all."

"Why?" Magnus asked, looking up now.

"Because you kinda already saw my face." he answered with a sigh. "And I like looking at those eyes of yours."

Magnus blushed looking down again. _Shit_ , Alec thought. _I didn't mean to make him flustered. Nice going Lightwood._

"Look. You saved me. So now I owe you." Alec called.

"You what?"

"I owe you."

"You don't owe me a thing." Magnus said to him, shaking his head.

"My heart is still beating because of your efforts. I am in your debt. You might not be apart of this world, but that's how it works. If someone saves someone's life, then they are in debt. I owe you. A lot considering that I also did kidnap you."

"Water under the bridge." Magnus joked.

"Anything you need, it's here." Alec continued. "I am... here to help. Until that leg of yours is fully healed up too."

"Anything you say?"

"Yes."

Magnus licked his lips. "You don't need to give me anything. I just want to go home."

"And you will." Alec added. "Until then, I am at your service."

"No. No, you're not."

"I am."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"I can play this back and forth game all day with you kitten. But what I said is what I meant. I owe you a grave favor."

Magnus bit his lip, his face flushing. "Don't call me kitten." he said.

"Don't call me Alexander, then we'll talk." he said back, giving a quick wink. Why was he acting like this? Was Alec always this flirtatious? Magnus inhaled. "Eat. You'll need your strength to get better." Alec stated.

Magnus nodded, picking around the orzo in the hot soup. He rubbed his lips together as he sipped it. Alec stood up from his seat, moving over towards the door. "Um... Alex?"

Alec turned over. "It's Alec."

"Right. Sorry. I just... can I ask you something?"

"Ask away."

"The Morgensterns. Who are they?"

Alec inhaled. He opened his mouth to answer, but the door opened before him. Cat walked inside, flaking off snow from her jacket. "Hello." she called, suspiciously towards Alec.

"Hey Cat." he called.

"Good to see that you're awake Magnus." she said with a smile. "Did you manage to shower okay?"

"It was fine." he answered.

"Okay. Let's get some warm clothes on you and check your temperature." she said. "Alec, if you're out of bed then you should probably start with the physical therapy. Light work."

"I'm aware Cat." he said, looking over at Magnus. "To be continued then."

"I guess so." he responded.

Alec nodded, turned on his heel and left. Cat scoffed. "That man." she said.

* * *

"Yeah, I got it. No cream, six sugars, almond milk and chocolate syrup." Jace called into his phone, rolling his eyes. "Bye Iz! I'll be back with your melted ice cream of a coffee soon."

He shoved the phone into his pocket and looked out at the line in front of him. He rolled his eyes. He hated being in New York coffee shops. There always seemed to be a new one on very corner that sold the exact same shit and there were lines out the door. Jace was perfectly capable of making a pretty decent cup of Joe back at the manor. He just needed to buy that stupid syrup stuff that Izzy and his mother couldn't get enough of. Well... Maryse. He always considered her a mother. Even though he was Alec's right hand, he was also her son. She raised him alongside her children and they got along splendidly. Maryse could have so simply listened to her husband's angry demands of killing the blonde child. Maryse put her foot down. She raised him alongside Izzy and Alec. And they were so close to this day.

Jace moved forward in the line, sighing. He moved to grab his phone and scroll through pointless news articles, when he felt a light tap on his shoulder. He turned over, meeting a bright smile and a warm glow. "Cool tattoos!" she said.

Jace's breath was basically taken away from him. This girl... holy shit this girl. Bright red hair that cascaded down to her shoulders. Beautiful skin. Piercing green eyes that reminded him of something in a museum. She held a book in her hands as her closed mouth smile showed off the apples of his cheeks. Jace was stunned. She was beautiful.

She tilted her head to side. Seeing this blonde man so silent. Even as the line moved forward ahead of him. "Uh... um... t-thanks." he said, looking over at the tattoos against his arms.

"They stand out. Even with your muscles." she said to him. "Where did you get them?"

"I um..." Jace moved forward a bit. "I have a... a friend that uh... does 'em."

"Cool." she said.

Jace cleared his throat. He put on a smile. "I'm Jace. And you are?"

"Oh! I'm Clary. Nice to meet you."

Jace smiled again. "Clary huh." he said. He turned over to the worker and ordered his, Izzy and Maryse's coffee. Clary ordered hers and the two moved over to the waiting line. "That's a pretty name."

"Thanks." she said. "You know... those tattoos are really cool. I think that my brother has a few of those symbols. Is that like for a special kind of gym?"

"Gym?"

"Well, you are jacked to shit and my brother has some abs of his own. I assumed that it was a gym thing."

Jace chuckled. "It's more of a family thing."

"So you know my brother?"

"Maybe I do."

Jace turned over, taking his cardboard holder of coffee. He chuckled. "I uh... I gotta go. It was... nice taking to you Clary."

"It was nice to talk to you too." she said, moving into her purse. She slid a card into Jace's vest pocket. "There's my number."

"You printed business cards for your number?"

"I'm an artist for you information."

Jace chuckled. "So do I have permission to call you?"

"Yeah. I'd like to talk more about those tattoos." she said.

Jace smiled. He pulled his phone and typed the number in. He pressed a button, making Clary's own phone buzz. She raised a brow at him, looking down and checking. It was a text from an unsaved number that read: _this is Jace btw._ She chuckled, giving him a thumbs up. The blush was an added bonus. He waved goodbye, walking out the door. His love struck ass didn't even notice that her name was the same as Magnus' friend during his background check.

Clary blushed, turning over and taking her two cups of coffee. She turned over to the approaching man. "Hey." she called.

"Who was that?"

"Some cool guy named Jace. He has similar tattoos to yours."

Jonathan looked over at his arms. Jace. He knew that name. He smiled, looking up. "Hey, I left something in the car. Be right back. Order me a coffee cake?"

"I just got off the line!"

"Do you love me or not?"

Clary chuckled, moving back onto the line while sipping her latte. Jonathan smiled as he walked out the door. As soon as he was outside, the smile left and turned into a growl.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You talk too much." Alec said. It sounded calm, yet the undertone was so dark and vile. "Now it's my turn. You... you will stay here until you learn to shut your mouth. And then, I'm shipping you back in a crate to Bane."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I said this to someone in the comments already but I have been making a survey for ya'll. I have a lot of different questions for you guys coming up later in the story. But I thought that these questions would be the best to answer so far for now. It's a Google Form. I will not be collecting any of your emails and you do not need a google email to take a look at it. You can answer all of the questions there and let me know how you fell afterwards!
> 
> Here is the [survey link](https://forms.gle/XmjCuXGX4pAUxfwY7)
> 
> Have fun in your answers! Enjoy the chapter!

The cells are dark and desolate. There is only one window inside the vast array of different rooms that would withhold the prisoners. And that light isn't at all enough to give some sort of comfort to the prisoners. But everyone that has ever stayed inside of a cell that belonged to Lighwood needed to be there. Their actions shows off why they were inside of the cells and held inside by restraints and a locked door. He never made a mistake. Magnus' being here wasn't even entirely his fault either. And hearing his footsteps was the worst thing. That meant that it was time for revenge or a warning from the ruthless leader of the most dangerous New York cabal. But not this time. This time, it was completely different. There was no anger in his heart or in his face this time. He slowly made his way over towards one of the cells. He heard the desperate cries from the vile people he had taken and the begs for mercy from those who had done horrible things. Things so unimaginable.

He made his way to one of the darkest cells. He slammed the door opened, looking over at the prisoner. Raphael. His two wrists were spread up in an Y shape, wrapped up in thick rope cuffs and connecting to the wall. He looked surprisingly mad. Go figure. Raphael looked up at him, his nose twitching in anger. His mouth was gagged, pretty strictly and almost humiliatingly. His cheeks were bulging underneath the leather gag in his mouth. Alec closed the door, letting it slam. He slowly walked over towards him. Raphael screamed at him, thrashing against what held him against the wall. Alec rolled his eyes, taking a hold of his throat and slamming his back down against the wall.

He moved over, taking a hold of the gag. He slowly yanked off of its buckles, prying it free from his mouth. Jace had probably been the one that restrained him, seeing how much packing had been stuffed behind his teeth. It was almost like a clown trick as he yanked it free. Raphael coughed, unable to control himself. He shivered, moving himself up and looking at Alec. He growled, launching up to try and attack him. The ropes were strong. Raphael only made it a small amount forward. "Where is he?! What have you done to him?!" he yelled. "If you fucking hurt him, I will-!!"

Alec rolled his eyes. "Shut your mouth or I'll break your teeth." he sneered, pushing him by the chin back against the wall. "Listen here... I... I have no interest in hurting him."

"Bullshit!"

"Shut the fuck up or I'll shove that gag back inside your mouth!"

Raphael stilled, but calmed down nonetheless. "He's innocent." he said softly. "I swear that he knows nothing. Having him won't give you any sort of power. I just came to get him and take him back home."

"And do what? Hurt him more than you've done already? You've been lying to him his entire life."

"Not his entire life. You don't know me at all."

"I know you enough."

Raphael scoffed. "You don't care about him. You care about what Bane will do when he gets wind of this. What you've done to his son. To his right hand man."

Alec rolled his eyes. "Bane can threaten mr all he wants, he should know now to ever step in my domain." he said, letting go of Raphael's face. "You'll be out of my hair soon enough."

"And you're going to what? Kill me?"

"Kill you? No. You're going right back to Bane. And you're going to tell him what I'm saying now." he stated. "He does not care about Magnus. He has shown no love for him. He will stay here with me in my manor, under my protection until his ankle is fully healed and he is out of danger."

Raphael's eyes widened. "Danger? What danger?! What have you done?!"

"Someone is after him."

"...Is it Morgenstern?"

"Yes."

"Why? What does he want?"

"Why do you need to know?"

"Because despite your hate for me, I do care for Magnus. That's why I did what I did! To keep him out of this safe. But because of you and your men-mmggghhhhffffff!"

Alec rolled his eyes as he shoved the cloth back inside of his mouth. His cheeks bulged out. Alec laughed his way. He strapped the gag back in between his mouth, tighter than before. The tight leather slapped against his skin hard and pressed up against his lips and the skin around it. "You talk too much." Alec said. It sounded calm, yet the undertone was so dark and vile. "Now it's my turn. You... you will stay here until you learn to shut your mouth. And then, I'm shipping you back in a crate to Bane."

Raphael tried his very best to respond, but the bonds were much tighter than his physical strength and his gag was much tighter than how Jace gagged him before. His cried came out as almost inaudible muffles. Alec scoffed. "Stay away from him. That's my one and only warning."

He turned around and walked out of the cell. Raphael was screaming at him in anger and protest.

* * *

Alec exhaled through his nose in frustration and anger. He needed to get rid of him. And get rid of him quick. He walked down the hall, towards his office. His eyes had been wandering away from right in front of him. This was all going to turn out bad or good depending on if people did what he said and listened to his orders. In his haste, he bumped into someone. He growled, about to threaten that person in his anger, until he noticed who it was. "Jace?! Where have you been-"

"Morgenstern attacked me." he wheezed, standing up straighter.

Alec moved over and saw the injuries against his skin. There was a deep bruise against his cheek. His lip was split down the middle and bleeding. He had a black eye that was so dark that it looked almost like the night sky. It seemed kind of blue. His shirt was ripped up and Alec noticed bruises and cuts against his skin. Alec looked over at him. He looked awful. Looked in pain. He took a hold of his brother's arm and pulled it over his shoulder. "He what?!" he growled through his clenched teeth.

"Not Valentine. His son. He attacked me." he said.

"Why?"

"I... I saw his sister. I knew that she was an innocent. But I hadn't seen a full picture of her. So I flirted with her."

"How come you can never think without your dick?"

"But that's not why he attacked me. It wasn't even really about her. It's about Magnus. He wants Magnus back."

Alec kicked opened the door to his office and threw his brother down against a chair. He moved into the drawers of his desk and took out a bottle of whiskey. He gave it to his brother before picking up a cotton pad. He patted it against his forehead, where one of the cuts lay, sopping up all the blood. "What the fuck does he want with him?"

"I don't know." he said. "That's all he told me. To give him back to him and send him home."

Alec rolled his eyes. "That must have been who sent out the men."

"What men?"

"There were men in the woods when I rescued Magnus. It must have been Morgenstern's men. They were looking for him."

"Why? If Clary knows nothing about-"

"It must be Jonathan. He must know him too."

Jace sighed. "Okay. Then what?"

"He has to stay here for a bit longer. There is something going on out there. He needs to be kept safe. I'll take care of that." he said to him.

"Why?" he said, taking a swig of the whiskey. Alec stayed silent, licking his lips. "He saved your life Al. You can let him go."

"No. I can't. I owe him."

"You owe him nothing."

"I could have died!"

"And? So what? He saved you. Now you can let him go."

"No." Alec said. "A life for a life. I owe him. If finding out what is the problem surrounding him and keeping him protected is what I have to do then that is exactly what I will do. Now, I'll call for Izzy to take care of you. Try and stay away from that Clary girl as much as possible. I will see what I can do surrounding her situation if what you said about her is actually true."

Jace nodded. "Are you going to have her lecture me?"

"No. Mom does that the best and you know that if I tell her you got your ass beat she'll fuck me up harder than ever."

Jace chuckled. He took another swig of his alcohol. Alec turned to the door. "Al." he called.

"Yeah."

"You know... that this could be good. Him being here right?"

"No. No it won't. Him being here so far has been nothing but trouble."

"Yet you've protected him from Raphael and Morgenstern. That's oddly romantic of you bud."

Alec exhaled. He turned away, not even answering him. His cheeks got oven hot.

* * *

A full week had passed. Magnus stayed inside of the room in the large cabin. His leg had slowly begun to heal up. Cat and Izzy coddled him and waited upon his very wish and every whim. Being there for him. Holding him. Slowly taking care of everything that could ever want. They took care of his leg like he was a prince. After the full week passed, the thick bandages were replaced with different ones. He was no longer allowed to walk though. Izzy strictly instructed him that he had to stay seated. So he assumed that he would be getting a wheelchair. Cat was more than happy to get him one. The nicest model and safest one to ride in. What Magnus was shocked about was seeing who had brought him the wheelchair.

He had been laying down in bed. He was about to doze off for an afternoon nap, but the doors opened before him. He raised his eyebrow, sitting up and looking at the door. Magnus inhaled, sitting up fully. "A-Alec." he called. He was awake now.

"Hope that I'm not interrupting anything." he said, turning behind him and pushing in a giant box. "Got something for you."

"For me?" he said. "Is it a casket?"

"Ha ha." Alec said, turning it over. "Cat told me that you needed a wheelchair. So, it came in today and I thought that I'd hand it to you."

Magnus looked over at it. "Is it motorized?"

"Uh... no."

"Good then." he said in response, a smile forming against his lips. Alec eyed the grin. It was wonderful. Something about it was special. His own lips started to curve. But slowly, he forced his lips back into the brooding frown that he had already had. Magnus slowly moved up from the bed. Alec moved over, taking a hold of his wrist.

"You okay?" he called.

"Fine." he responded. "I'm not made of porcelain."

Alec nodded. Slowly, he moved over and opened the box. He pulled out the chair, opening it up and resting it perfectly against the ground. "Here. Ready?"

Magnus nodded. Alec helped him onto his good foot. He hopped once before he rested down against the chair. Magnus rubbed his hands against the armrests, smiling. "Hmm." he said. "Comfortable."

Alec nodded. "How about we take it out for a spin?"

Magnus nodded. He slowly moved his hand over and rested it against the wheels. Slowly, he moved it forward. It took him a bit to get used to moving. Alec stayed behind him, watching him struggle. After a couple of seconds, he growled. Rolling his eyes he took a hold of the handlebars and pushed Magnus forwards. Magnus was pushed back against the back of the chair. He huffed. "How rude." he huffed, even though there was a smile on his face.

Alec rolled his eyes, giving another scoffy growl. "I understand that staying here will take some getting used to. So let me show you around my place."

"How sweet of you to do. You know, I kind of expected for you to continue the whole ignoring me business."

"I have a job to do."

"A job? How lovely. I understand Alexander."

Alec huffed. But the smile returned. He slowly moved the wheelchair around the manor. They didn't fall into a conversation. No matter how hard Magnus tried to try and bring up simple things to speak on, they never continued a conversation for more than twenty seconds at a time. Magnus huffed. At first he didn't want to speak to him. But considering that he had just saved his life and he knows things that he will never know, he might as well try and befriend him.

Alec strolled him around the cabin, pointing out where each door led to and what he could find if he ever needed it. Magnus rolled his eyes after he found out where the bathroom and the kitchen was. His eyes wandered around. He pointed down to a very dirty door. "What's that lead to?"

Alec looked up. He turned back forward and pushed Magnus along with him. "Don't worry about that."

Magnus huffed again. "Okay then. If you're just not going to engage into a conversation with me, I might as well go back upstairs."

"There is no conversation happening because you are not saying anything interesting."

"Interesting? What's interesting to you?"

"Nothing that you like."

"I like books. Just like you do."

"One similar book interest does not equal you and I being able to have a conversation. Or having anything in common. We don't need to have anything in common. I'm just keep you safe until you're healed."

"Safe from who? That's another thing that I don't get. Why won't you tell me who the Morgensterns are. And why my father is involved in this. And what happened to Raphael?"

"I would very much not worry about that guy." Alec said to him. "And you shouldn't worry yourself about them."

"But if this is about me, shouldn't I at least be able to understand what is happening all around me?" Magnus asked him. Alec huffed instead of responding. Magnus rolled his eyes. He gripped the wheels of his chair and slowly started to move up and forward.

Alec moved forward, stepping in front of him and grabbing the armrests, stopping him. "Where are you going?"

"Back to my room. You've showed me what you deem important. Now I'm going to back to my room."

"Are you seriously getting upset about this?"

"Uh.. yeah. I think I have the right."

"Please trust me on this. You don't need to know."

"I do. This is about me."

Alec exhaled. "Look... if you can give me a second, some more time. I can tell you."

"More time. Hmmm. No. I've been here long enough. I think that I deserve to know. Now." Magnus said back, crossing his arms. "You already saw what happened when I left the first time. What do you think will happen if I leave this time. I won't come back and I won't save your life if you end up getting attacked."

Alec rubbed his tongue against the side of his cheek, scoffing. "Really?"

"Why yes Alexander." he responded.

Alec exhaled through his nose. "Alright fine."

Magnus smiled, happy that he had managed to get his way with this murderous man. "And you might as well tell me everything about you, since we'll be stuck here together."

"You are going to run me amuck huh Bane?"

"Why yes. Yes I will."


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus learns about this world that he has just been thrown into, who's involved in it and why he plays a key role inside of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I still have a lot of questions that still need answers in my survey. I need a couple more before I start to add them into the story. Here is the [survey link](https://forms.gle/XmjCuXGX4pAUxfwY7) for you guys to go and take. And you can take it as many times as you want as well! There's even some fun questions just for you all!
> 
> I'm gonna to try and leave it up until maybe tomorrow or the next update! Try to fill out soon! Enjoy ya'll. Love you!

Alec looked over at Magnus. He had slowly moved him from his wheelchair and onto one of the comfy chairs in Alec's office. He leaned over, looking at the beautiful way that the place was decorated. The last time that he was in here, it was a less then ideal time. But it was better now. Alec smiled, seeing the way he was. He shoved that smile back down as he picked up a thick folder. He moved over to the front of his desk. "What do you want me to start with?" he asked.

Magnus hummed, looking down at his hands as he bunched up his pants. "Start... start with me. How am I so important in all of this? Why am I so important?"

Alec nodded. He set down the folder, pulling out a piece of paper and handing it over to Magnus. "Here." he said. Magnus slowly took it from him. "If we're talking about you, let me start with your father. He is apart of this kind of life."

"How so?"

"He's not a leader like me or owns his own cabal. He's a weapons dealer. He gives me and my subordinates the guns and bullets that we need to go out to our missions." he explained. "He's the best dealer. He is a lot different than others that just give you standard guns and knifes. He works hard to create them himself. Every weapon is special. His guns are more than just simple guns."

"How so?"

Alec moved over to the drawers of his desk. He opened up the drawer and pulled out a standard gun. Magnus instantly tensed up. "Relax." he said to him quickly. He held the gun out to him. Magnus eyed it. It seemed just like any other gun. Alec pulled it back and snapped the gun in half. Magnus eyes widened see what was underneath. There was another barrel hidden underneath it. And then on the other end was six sharp blades.

"Woah..." he gasped. "How is this... possible. How does the bullets-"

"If I knew, I would be explaining it. But for the life of me, I do not know how your father does it. It's amazing. He sells his guns to me and only a few others. Some in the military, some police officers and some collectors of guns. But he makes a living doing it. It's quite impressive."

"So he spends his time designing these intricate guns instead of... being with his son."

"What do you mean?"

Magnus scoffed. "Forget it. How long has he been selling you these guns?"

"He's been selling them since before I became the head. He sold them to my father when he was about my age. Maybe a bit younger or older."

"So it's been an ongoing deal between you and your mob."

"Yes."

"So what does this have to do with me?"

"Your father's work is loved and admired in our kind of work. If worse comes to worse, one of his guns or knifes can save a life." Alec explained. "You are his son. To a man that is so important, your life can open a lot of doors. Good or bad."

"W-What do you mean?" Magnus said, his hands moving over to rest against his chest. He could feel the drumming of his heat against his clenched fingers.

"I mean, that if someone apart of another cabal was to marry you, they have a wide open range to Asmodeus' weapons and contacts. If someone was to kidnap you, I bet you that he would give anything to get you back with all fingers and toes."

"I doubt it."

"How so?"

"My father has never shown any interest or care into my life. He gave me a roof to live under but that was about it. I highly doubt that something like marriage or kidnapping would affect him. I mean... look at me. I've been kidnapped already and he hasn't done anything about it."

"He did send Raphael."

"Raphael doesn't care about me. He's been lying to me."

"He did send him over. Trust me though. I'm just trying to assume why your father wanted to keep you away from this world."

Magnus rolled his eyes. "No. It doesn't matter to me. He ignored me my entire life. I don't want to hear more about him. That's... that's more than enough. Now, tell me about the Morgensterns. Who are they?"

Alec inhaled. He rubbed the bottom of his chin. "This is probably going to bother you."

"Does it have to do with me?" he asked.

"No. Not really." Alec lied.

"Then why did they try and take me from your woods?"

"I have no idea. The Morgensterns is another crime family and mob in New York."

"Another? How many are there?"

"Two that you need to worry about. Some are in other states. Like the Penhallows."

Magnus nodded. "So... here in New York... it's you and the Morgensterns."

"Yes. And unlike me, they have no moral code and they do not care about the people in our state. They deal drugs, terrible drugs. Laced shit."

"And do you sell? Drugs?"

"What I do in my cabal is nothing that you need to concern yourself with."

"O-Okay then..."

"Don't be so disappointed. It's not a big deal."

Magnus nodded. "Well... if you're not going to tell me about your cabal, can I ask about you?"

"Ask away."

"Do you... do you hurt people?" he asked. "Are you as dangerous as the Morgensterns?"

Alec inhaled through his nose. "Despite what you might believe about me, I am not vile."

"You come off that way."

"That's how I'm supposed to. I can't go soft. I need to remain high in power. So that people fear and listen to me when I order something to be done. But I don't hurt innocent people. I hurt people that deserve to be hurt."

"Like?"

"Like... the Morgenstern subordinates."

"There has to be people in his mob that don't intend to hurt-"

"I have plenty of men and women that work for me that only do what they do to provide for their families. I don't hurt those people. I hurt people in New York that are cold... ruthless. Corrupt cops, rapists, drug dealers. Overall terrible people. I get them off of my streets." Alec explained.

"Is that why you called... Raj?" Magnus asked.

Alec stayed silent for a moment. "He was always an ass. But he hurt an innocent. A mundane. That is something I can not have." Magnus nodded. He moved some hair out of his face. He set down the folder, not even minding that he didn't look inside at any of the files or any of the photographs. Alec sat down on his desk again, rubbing his thigh. "I understand that this is a lot to comprehend. You've been apart of this life since probably birth and you've never known of anything of it until my men came and ruined everything."

"It's fine." Magnus said. "But, can you at least explain to me this moral code of yours?"

"How did you know that?"

"You come off that way. And you keep saying that you owe me for saving your life. That screams a moral sense to me."

Alec huffed. "Your very observant. And talkative. You'd make a good observant or field seducer." he said, chuckling to himself. "Ask away."

"Does your code have to do with me being here?"

"Yes."

"What... what exactly is it?"

"You ran away. And I could have let you leave. It would have been simple to let you go off. But I couldn't just let you. You were injured because of something I did and I needed to at least make sure you were safe. My original plan was to go over, find you and get you to a hospital. But then Morgensterns men arrived. And they wanted you for some reason. I had to do something."

"Then you got shot saving me."

"Yeah. You saved me from dying."

"I couldn't just leave you there." Magnus said with an awkward chuckle. "You saved me. Now it was my turn."

"And that is pretty much my moral code. My code, and the code for most crime families is that it's a life for a life. You saved mine, so know I owe you." Alec explained.

"You don't really have to."

"No. I do. And so, I'm here to make sure that you're protected from whatever is happening around us and in this life."

Magnus nodded. Alec moved over, moving his hands underneath Magnus' thighs. He helped him back down against his wheelchair. "Let me take you back to your room." he said, slowly wheeling him out of the office. He looked down at him, seeing the way that he was rubbing his finger. Almost in fear. He was terrified. "Magnus, believe me when I tell you that there is nothing that you have to worry about."

"I'm not worried. It's just a lot to take in." Magnus said. "I'm also really tired."

Alec nodded back to him. "I'm sorry."

"It's not a problem." he answered, sighing.

Magnus slowly turned and started to respond like Alec. He grunted and hummed to anything that Alec said to him. Alec tried to continue the conversation between them. But now it was just Alec speaking to himself. He took Magnus to his room, wheeling him inside of the room. "Here." he said to him. "I'll leave you to sleep."

Magnus nodded. "Thank you Alec."

He nodded, turning over. He turned away to try and leave but inhaled. He turned over and left the room. As soon as the door closed, he heard the sound of sobbing. His hand turned over to the door, wanting to knock on it. But he turned away and sighed. He had done enough. And how could he comfort someone like him? Magnus has shown nothing at all but kindness. He risked his own bone to save his life. And what did he do in return? Practically tell him that his whole entire life is a lie.

He shoved his hands into his pockets, turning away from the door. He had done enough for Magnus. Alec walked down the hall. His eyes met with one of his inferiors. A shorter man. Bright pink dyed hair. Dark brown eyes. Toffee colored skin. Alec inhaled. He moved over towards him. The man looked up, his eyes widened and his back stiffening. "SIr." he called.

Alec let out a short laugh, biting his lip. "Name."

"Um... uh, Sergio. Sergio."

"Sergio." he repeated, moving over and rubbing his finger underneath of his chin. "Kneel."

The man instantly fell down against his knees. He rested his hands against his thighs, looking up at Alec as his cheek turned bright pink. Alec chuckled. He deserved to blow off some steam.

* * *

"I'm very glad that you chose me this time around Mr. Lightwood." Sergio said, looking over at Alec. He was propped up against his elbow, running his fingers against Alec's tattoos. "Did I please you well enough sir?"

"You were fine." Alec stated back, looking up at the ceiling.

"I am always glad to be of service to you. I am always here to please you." Sergio said to him.

Alec nodded. He moved off of the bed, pushing the man off of him. He rubbed his cheek, fingers brushing against the scar. "Leave." he stated.

Sergio moved off of the bed. He walked towards Alec, wrapping his arms around his waist and slowly starting to press kisses against the back of his neck. He turned over quickly, gripping his wrist. He pushed him back onto the bed. "You followed all of my orders so far. Don't infuriate me now. Leave."

Sergio nodded, gathering up his clothes and rushing out of the room. Alec sighed as soon as the door closed. He sat down against his bed, rubbing the soft fabric of his duvet. It wasn't the first time that he had fucked one of his guards. His workers. Most were more than glad to be fucked by The Alec Lighwood. But Alec never fucked the same person twice. He never ever saw them again unless it was afterwards and they were still working for him or they had gotten their own spouses.

But Alec didn't need a relationship. He didn't want someone. He had seen what it had done to his mother. How she had fallen for his father, gave him children and saw that it would never be here or her children that her husband actually cared for. Alec would hurt a man like that. A man like Magnus. His heart clenched as he thought that. He slowly rised from his bed, dressing himself up. He walked out of the room and down the steps. He looked over to the room where Magnus was. He looked over, pressing his hand against the door.

He didn't want to hurt someone. But he hurt Magnus. In a way that could probably never be forgiven. He scoffed at himself as he slowly opened the door. He looked in, seeing the dim light of the bedroom lamp. Magnus lay against the bed. His leg was safely propped up against a couple of thick pillows. Soft snores escaped his lips. He could see the tear stains against his cheeks. Alec exhaled, licking his lips and turning away from the man. Izzy had always told him that maybe he would be different from their dad. Once he found the one, he would be able to change. Be different. Not be so closed off. Actually fully care for the people around him.

He couldn't though. He would never. And especially with Magnus. Who was the most beautiful man that he had probably ever laid eyes on. He left the room, closing the door softly behind him. Love? Please. No matter how much love he had for his brother, he could not save him. No matter how much love his mother had for his father, he did not choose her. And for someone like Magnus, he would see what Alec saw in the mirror daily.

A monster. A murderer.

He rubbed the bottom of his chin, walking out of the hall. He had other things to worry about.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A couple days have gone by. Alec goes out on a pretty dangerous night out. What welcomes him for his return is quite shocking.
> 
> Izzy meets someone 💘

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The poll is officially closed today! Thank you all for the wonderful responses that you gave. For all questions. But you all warmed my heart with your responses to my personal questions!🥰
> 
> I am going to do another one if you all want. I think that would be fun too! Let me know.
> 
> Anyways, the winners will at the end notes. Can't wait for you to see what others voted on and will actually be implemented!! Enjoy the chapter! It's one of my favorites! 💛

A couple days have passed. Magnus had done his very best to avoid Alec. At first he thought that he wanted to get to know him. That it would be a good idea to at least try and make peace with the man that would be keeping him safe and under his roof. But after learning all about the life around him, he slowly started to hate Alec. But his subconscious was starting to bite him in the ass. It wasn't entirely Alec's fault that this was his life. Alec hasn't lied to him once. If anything, he has been the most honest person in his life. Not only that, but Magnus did ask him to tell him. He had no right to be mad at him. At all. He sighed, looking up from his book. He wanted to apologize to him. He works a lot. Always in his office with paperwork or shooting outside. But he didn't feel like he could approach him. How does one approach someone who is literally dealing with life or death on the daily? He rubbed the pages of his book. Maybe he could do something instead of physically talking face to face. He already saved his life. What more could he do when it came to Alec and his strange moral code?

He didn't know. He rested the book on his lap and rolled his chair back inside of the cabin. He looked around for Alec. But he didn't see him around. Big shocker. And he probably wouldn't be around for quite a bit. He rolled towards the hall, accidentally knocking into someone. He cursed. "Sorry." he called. "I'm still getting used to- oh. Afternoon Isabelle."

"Hi Magnus." she greeted adjusting the strap of her purse. "How are you doing?"

"I'm alright." he said, eyeing her outfit. It was different from her other clothes. It was still form fitting though. Leggings, wedged sneakers and a tee that spell FCUK instead of FUCK. Thick rimmed glasses rested on her nose, the dark red frames matching her ruby necklace and ring. "Are you going somewhere?"

"Oh yes." she said. "I'm seeing a movie."

"A movie. With who?"

"With me."

"Aren't you going to go with Cat? Or maybe with Maryse."

"Cat is busy with some of Alec's spies. They got hurt in a car wreck the other day. And my mom is still sleeping."

Magnus bit his lip. "I'm sorry that you have to go to the movies alone."

"Oh! I don't mind. If anything, I wish that I didn't run into you. I know that you can't leave this place anyways. I didn't want to make you feel worse than you already do." she said, rubbing the straps of her purse.

"Don't be. It's fine. So, what are you goong to go see? Something exciting?"

"There's this old movie that I loved watching as a kid. They're doing a one day showtime of it. So I'm going to see it. Movies are always amazing when it's on the big screen and when you hear the reactions of others."

"I agree. I hope that you have a wonderful time then."

"What are you up to?" Izzy said, moving her glasses up to the perch of her nose.

"Oh. I was about to and look for, your brother." he said. He had no reason to lie to Izzy. She's been kind of him ever since he arrived here. She was the one who had helped him when he had gotten surgery. Both times.

"Oh? Why?"

"We um... we were talking a couple of days ago and he told me about this whole mob life. And I got a bit offended. I want to apologize. Or at least talk to him. I don't know why. But I want to make it up to him."

"Make it up to him? Trust me. My brother doesn't mind. He understands."

"I don't know that unless I hear it from his lips." Magnus said. "But do you know where he is?"

"He just left."

"Oh."

"Sorry." she said. "He'll be back by around six tonight."

"Why? Where is he going?"

"He's going off to take care of something."

"So am I just here... alone?"

"Oh no. No, no, not alone. Cat will be done with her stuff so she will be here with you soon. And there are plenty of guards all around that don't mind spending some time with you."

"Well, that makes me feel a bit better."

Izzy smiled. She knelt down and rubbed his shoulder. "Hey." she called. "How about I bring you something from the theater? What do you like?"

"You don't have to bring me anything." Magnus answered. "Besides, I don't really eat popcorn."

"Well everyone likes Twizzlers. I'll bring you some of those." she said, getting up.

"How sweet of you. Thank you Isabelle."

"See ya later then."

"Enjoy your movie Isabelle." Magnus called, waving. He sighed, wheeling back the way that he came. Well, that didn't go the way that he expected. He had hoped to try and do something for Alec. To try and just show him that there was no hard feelings. Especially if they would be stuck together for a couple of weeks. Maybe a month or two.

But he needed to be here for that to work. He wheeled down the opposite hall then before, making his way into the kitchen. His eyes met with the vast array around him. His lips slowly then curled into a smile. He had an idea.

* * *

Izzy rushed inside of the theater. She had hope that she hadn't arrived so late. The damn traffic in New York. It made everyone late everytime. She looked over, seeing that it was still previews that was being shown. She sighed, moving to the seats. She saw that the theater was packed with people. Fellow nerds like her. She moved some hair away from her eyes, seeing as some people were eyeing her up, It made her uncomfortable. She had dressed down just to avoid this very situation. She moved towards the back, seeing a couple of seats available. Thank God that she had worn her glasses then. Izzy set down her purse on the floor, moving over and pulling out a box of candy.

Izzy opened the box, hearing some snickering from next to her. She raised her eyebrow, seeing someone cover the top of their nose. "Something funny?" she asked.

"Nothing. It's just... with movies like these you have to up your snack sneaking game." he said to her.

"Oh really? You're judging me based off one box of candy?"

"Oh I am."

"You have no idea what candy I have smuggled in. And how much."

"So it is all candy..."

Izzy blushed. "I have a sweet tooth like no other."

"I'm not judging." he answered, moving his bag off from the side and resting it against the ground. He opened it slowly and pulled out something wrapped in foil. 

Izzy's eyebrows raised. "You brought a sandwich?"

"Not just any sandwich." he stated. "A fried chicken sandwich. Spicy mayo, lettuce, tomato and thin cucumbers." The man brought his fingers to lips.

Izzy chuckled, mock clapping him. "I must say, that is impressive of you."

The man smiled, going into the bag and pulling out another. "Here." he said.

"Oh no. You have it."

"No. You can have one. I brought three. You know how these movies get."

Izzy blushed, taking it from her. "Why thank you. I'm Izzy."

The man held out his hand. "I'm Simon."

"Nice to meet you Simon."

"So... how did you get into classic sci fi?"

"I enjoy movies. It takes me out of the world."

"So is that why you came to see The Thing today?"

"It's better to see a movie on the big screen."

"Did you come alone?"

"I'm not alone any more now that I have you here Mister Simon."

Simon chuckled. The two slowly fell into a conversation. It was simple coming from them. They talked about their favorite comics. Favorite movies. It was nice. Izzy had never met with someone who had liked the same things as her. Her life was a lot different than others. So speaking about sci fi, something that no one in the manor ever liked, was so good. She noticed the blush forming on Simon's cheeks. Simon had never met someone who had liked stuff like this either. Especially from a girl. Most girls brushed him off when he brought this stuff up. And he heard it from Raphael all the time that it was boring and from Clary that she she had basically seen all the movies he had and was bored of them.

Izzy was like a breath of fresh air. The two looked over as the the lights dimmed. They smiled, turning towards the screen. "Hey." he whispered. "There's a comic shop down the street. Maybe after the movie-"

"I'd love to." she said to him, her smile brighter than ever.

* * *

Alec groaned, frustrated as he walked inside of the cabin. His hands had some dried blood on it, along with some drops on his face. He turned over, seeing his workers walk inside of the living room. They all looked just as exhausted as he did. He had just dealt with a lot. He had heard of someone kidnapping teenagers and had just dealt with their leader. Beating him along with all of his damned accomplices to a pulp before killing them before sending the kids safely home. Some people in New York think that they can just go against him.

He turned over to everyone, seeing the weary looks in their eyes and on their faces. He noticed one of his guards, looking as if she was about to pass out. Her fiance held her gently, his hands holding the small of her back and the side of her waist. Alec sighed looking at them. "I know you're all tired. I appreciate all of the work that you have done for me."

"Not a problem sir." one of the women said with a sigh. She wiped her nose from the snot coming down.

"Bastards are dead." Jace added, raising his two fingers. "That's what matters."

"Agreed." someone else added with a smile.

"You're all welcome to-"

Alec was cut short when he heard a slight crash. Everyone turned to high alert. Their hands going to their guns or their weapons. Alec held a hand out to them. No one had been able break into his cabin. For years no one has. He doubted that it was any sort of threat to him or his workers. But still, in this life he could never be too sure of anything. Quickly, he moved over towards the noise that he had heard. His hands slowly pressed against the door. Opening it and seeing what was there. No threat. But something a bit more unexpected.

The dining room of his cabin has always been a mess. It was always just another room. The table was dusty. Vases upon vases were filled with dying flowers. Papers of things that had been taken care of or reports that were no longer needed. But it was almost unrecognizable from before. Everything had been cleared off. A bright red table cloth laid across the long table. A fresh vase of flowers was in the middle. Shiny clean plates laid down. Place settings with no names that it was just welcoming towards him and everyone else that wandered near. But sprayed across the table was glorious amounts of food. Home cooked food. Steaming hot.

Alec saw as some of his subordinates moved over. They were all just as shocked as him. They had never seen a meal like this here at Lightwood's manor. Jace moved over next to his brother and boss. "What the hell?" he said, eyeing the trays filled with penne al a vodka.

Alec turned to one of the doors, seeing as it opened. He saw as Magnus wheeled himself inside, a couple of pitchers of water resting against his lap. "Magnus?" he called.

Magnus looked up. "Oh!" he called. "Hello."

"Hey." Jace called, saluting him like the moron that he was. "Can we eat this stuff?"

One of the girls elbowed him in the ribs. But Magnus chuckled. "Well, I did make this for you."

"You made... all of this?" Alec repeated. "Why?"

"Because I was here alone." he said, chuckling once again. "Isabelle told me that you went off today for something. And I thought that you might want to have a nice warm meal afterwards."

"How nice of you to do." Jace called. "I think that we'd all like a meal."

Everyone but Alec nodded in agreement. He just looked at Magnus. Dumbfounded. Everything looked delicious. Why would he do this? "Please." Magnus called, setting the pitchers down. "Come and dig in."

They all nodded, moving inside. They pulled up a chair, coming into a nice conversation about how kind Magnus was to cook for them and how delicious everything looked. Alec slowly walked over towards Magnus, as he handed someone a cup. "How did you do this?" he asked.

"I have an injured ankle. Not injured hands. You don't need feet to cook. Especially in this wheelchair. It is a bit easier." he answered with a smile. "Have a seat. Stay awhile. This is your home after all."

"Why did you do this?" Alec asked.

"There's no ulterior motive Alexander." he answered. "It's just... well, I was kind of rude to you after you told me about this mob stuff. I don't think it was fair to you. All you did was do what I asked. I thought that this would be a nice sort of peace offering. Besides, your subordinates seemed like they really needed it. They look dead on their feet."

Alec turned over, seeing them smiling and laughing as they ate and drank. "Yeah." he said. "Yeah, they needed it."

"I'm glad that I could lift their spirits." Magnus said, looking over at Alec. He saw the blood against his fingers. He inhaled, at first afraid of what he had done. But he looked over, seeing that none of his knuckles were split as he had originally feared, only that the skin was starting to bruise a deep plum. "You're hurt."

"Huh?" he called, looking down. "Oh. It's nothing I-"

Magnus ignored him, taking his hand and placing it on the handle of his wheelchair. He spun over, pulling Alec down the hall. Alec could have let go at any time. But strangely. He didn't want to. He followed him out of the dining room.

* * *

Magnus rung out the rag from under the sink and slowly pressed it up against Alec's hand. Alec hissed a bit from the cold water, but stayed quiet as to not worry him. He watched Magnus from his spot leaning against the sink. He had this all down to a science. The way he maneuvered his chair from Alec and to the medicine cabinet. He had only been in the chair for such a short while and yet he fucking owned it. Magnus returned close to him once again. "Are your knuckles tender?" he asked.

"Uh... pretty much." Alec answered, shrugging.

"Okay then. It doesn't seem serious, since the blood on your skin isn't yours." Magnus said, setting down the rag. He held up a small roll of medical gauze. "Sorry if this hurts."

Alec watched as Magnus slowly wrapped his hands. "How do you know what to do?" he asked.

"I went to med school for a bit." he answered. "So I understand surgery and stuff. But for the simple things, it's what I picked up along the way in life. In college, before I changed majors, my friends would getting into fist fights drunk. I helped them out when they got sober."

Alec nodded. "Thank you." he said.

"It's not a problem. Bruises knuckles aren't that serious."

"That's not what I meant. You didn't have to cook for me to try and apologize. You could have just said it."

"But I wanted to."

"And I appreciate it. Thank you."

Magnus smiled, looking down. He removed his hand from Alec's larger one. "There." he said. "All done. How's it feel?"

Alec pulled his hand back and tried to make a fist. It was still tender, but it almost felt like pins and needles lingering from what was the touch of Magnus Bane. "It's feels great. Thanks Magnus."

He nodded. "Now, go on and eat. I'm pretty sure the good stuff will be gone by the time you get there."

Alec chuckled. He moved off the sink and walked out of the bathroom. He shut the door behind him, but couldn't find himself to move away. His hand lingered against the doorknob. When he heard it open again, he moved back into the shadows of the hall. Magnus wheeled out of the room, a gentle and almost beautiful smile against his lips. He gripped his wheels, moving down the hall. Alec moved out of the darkness, watching him.

Why was there something so appealing about Magnus Bane?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poll Winners🏆:
> 
> Something good will happen to this character- Maryse (51.2% of votes)🏅
> 
> Something bad will happen to this character- Jonathan (74.4% of votes)🏅
> 
> What other fairy tale element- Sleeping Beauty (41.9% of votes)🏅
> 
> How long- You guys didn't really give a shit (74.4% of votes)🏅
> 
> How should Maryse and Luke come together as a couple- Maryse goes to Luke for help (48.8% of votes)🏅
> 
> Malec's Theme- The Other Side by Ruelle (72.1% of votes)🏅
> 
> Smut Symbol System- Yes, we're using it again (81.4% of votes)🏅
> 
> The others that were in the poll and that were open ended responses basically aligned differently. There was no percentage given to me or pie chart. So I did it all myself. So here are those top 3 winners with a runner up (the runner up and the others might be added as well if you all want).
> 
> What BatB element-  
> 🥇Dancing Scene  
> 🥇The Rose(s)  
> 🥇Alec giving Magnus a gift  
> 🥈Playing in the snow
> 
> What smutty elements-  
> 🥇Descriptive  
> 🥇Heavy Dom/Sub  
> 🥇Heavy Bondage  
> 🥈Nicknames (kitten and baby was the top)
> 
> Thanks so much for answering me! I'm gonna make up another poll soon! I am so excited to do this! Thanks for such kind words (and recommendations. Whoever recommended Queendom by AURORA, I love you too much💛)
> 
> Have a happy and safe day! Let me know what other questions you'd like for the next poll! 💛


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jonathan's search for Magnus had gone cold. Valentine has a plan to get another trail and his master plan finally goes into motion.
> 
> Alec finds his heart yearning for Magnus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I hope that you all are happy and healthy! And if not, I hope that you are going to get better with time and medicine. And if you are going through tough times, I understand. I just lost two people in my family from COVID-19. I'm a bit emotionally drained, but all I can say is that things will get better. Maybe not now. But they will. The darkest hour only lasts sixty minutes. 💕
> 
> So, aside from the sad sappy stuff let me just say. I don't know about you, but I have been struggling to stay sane while cooped up in my house. All day Netflix and hot coffee get boring after three consecutive days. And with no opportunity for me to go out and buy my beloved snack. 😇👼🏽SALTED DAVID'S SUNFLOWER SEEDS👼🏽😇... I struggle. Issa struggle.
> 
> I hope that if any of you are the same as me (stuck in quarantine, home with the family, remote learning, 🎵waving through a window🎵) you still have your sanity. BECAUSE I FUCKING DON'T. And so, since I have been writing a lot with my free time and am in the middle of processing/editing chapter 43, I wanted to try something new. And so, as to gain back some sanity and to try and calm yours
> 
> I am posting new chapters everyday for an entire week!!!
> 
> SEVEN NEW CHAPTERS❗❗❗
> 
> JUST LIKE UNDER THE MISTLETOE⁉️⁉️ FUCK YEAH❗❗❗
> 
> 🤩🤩😄😄🤗🤗🥰🥰
> 
> I really needed to do something to keep me sane. And like I did in a previous fic, I updated daily. But that story was already finished so I could update daily without worry of running out of chapters. I think that an entire week is pretty fair for now until I finish.
> 
> And let's be honest. With all this at home time, I'll probably be done by like next month. Not kidding. I just wrote Valentine's and Jonathan's [INSERT SPOILER HERE]
> 
> I hope that you are all as excited as I am. I really worked hard on these when I'm not seeing every bad horror movie or show on Netflix and making fun of it (don't watch Polaroid. Or Season 3 & 4 of Riverdale. Yikes)
> 
> Thank you for reading! Have a super duper happy day and I'll be seeing you for the seven more days! 😘😋😁💕

"We've searched the woods as you asked sir."

"And all the abandoned buildings. Apartments of other mob members. Everything closed off or a cabal hangout and anywhere else that you have told us, we have looked sir."

"From top to bottom. We turned places upside down. And still, there is no sign of Magnus Bane."

Jonathan slammed down his wine glass, the glass shattering all over the place. His cocktail spilling out onto the desk and the papers resting there. The mercenaries winced, seeing a hint of blood against his fingers. "You are telling me that you've searched every single place in New York and you still haven't found him?! How?!" he yelled. "Impossible! Not with as many cabals around!"

"We're sorry sir." one of the others said, trying to defend himself and his colleagues. "We have looked everywhere. I swear it."

"What about the men I sent upstate?! Have you gotten contact with them?!"

"They've...they've turned up dead sir." another one said, his voice getting lower and lower. Almost in grief.

"What? H-How? HOW?!"

"From the look of the bodies, they had been shot. They all bled to death expect for one. Another cabal tried to bring him home back to safety but he died shortly after." another explained. "They say it was blood loss or trauma that killed him."

Jonathan inhaled sharply, falling back into his seat and rubbing his temples. The work of Lightwood. He always thought that he was one step ahead. And if he wasn't, he opened fire. And that bastard still had his Magnus.

He was so going to enjoy tearing him apart limb by fucking limb. "Get out." he sneered, teeth so tightly clenched that it could have made sparks. "Out! Get out! All of you! Out!!!"

Everyone in the room scrambled to exit, the door shutting behind him. Jonathan inhaled, veins popping out of his forehead. He wiped the desk in anger, everything on it falling off and shattering. His drink spilled even more onto the floor then before. It used to be a downpour. Now it was a monsoon. He screamed in frustration, slamming his fists down onto the desk.

They had searched everywhere. And his father's men knew better than to half ass their orders. Lightwood. This was all Lightwood. What in the hell could he want with him? What good could Magnus have? What is the point of holding him hostage? Magnus was innocent. His last name had no meaning to him. His father meant nothing to him. It couldn't be the reason he was still there. It had be something else. Something lustful? Bloodlustful? He exhaled, looking up at the door. Hearing it as it was slowly cracked opened. He groaned. "Leave me be father." he stated.

"I'm just bringing you some tea. Seems like you might need it." Valentine said to him, moving over to the desk. He didn't set it down, noticing the mess. Valentine hummed, rubbing the bottom of his chin. "Nothing huh?"

"No. Nothing" he said, taking the cup and its saucer. "This is getting ridiculous. Magnus has nothing at all to do with this life. He's a mundane. Why would they keep him? And why would Lightwood kill your men to try and stop his rescue? There is something sinister afoot with that guy. What gain does he have from keeping Magnus captive?"

"Maybe he's looking for something from Bane as ransom?"

"What does Bane have that he could possibly want?"

"Weapons."

"Bullshit." Jonathan groaned. "He is Alec Lightwood. He has more of anything than money can buy."

"A few astute observation my son."

"It wasn't an observation. It was a sly mutter."

"You do me proud with your intelligent nature." Valentine said with a smile, crossing his wrists in front of him.

"Father please." he said back, sipping his tea and setting it down on his bookshelf.

"You seem very invested into this. And I can understand why. A work of the heart is some of the most dangerous actions in this life. Just ask Bane himself." Valentine said to him, starting to circle around him. "And as I have told to you before, there is a way that we can solve this issue. Possibly for good. By taking the throne."

"You want to take Lightwood's spot, not me." he said back. 

"It doesn't matter if you don't want his spot Jonathan. You can still get revenge on him for doing what he had done to Magnus. The spot can be in our family name, and that Lightwood will not be able to do anything about it. By being at the top, we would have control and power. The power to protect. Protect people like Magnus Bane. And your sister."

Jonathan hummed, looking down in thought. The words were getting to him. Valentine smiled. He was a master manipulator. "I don't know." he said.

"Son. You and I both know what power can do to a man. You've seen Lightwood. The way he sends his men off while he stays hidden like he's a shadow himself. The way he brags about how powerful he is and what he can do to hurt others. We can put an end to that and start a new era. Starting with your love for that boy. I just need your help son. You can help me push him off his high horse while you and I rescue this man you love."

Valentine watched his son. Waiting for him. Jonathan slowly raised himself up, turning over to his father. "Please explain to me father, how I do that?" he said.

"Let us paint a picture. We find his base of operations, we get rid of Lightwood and rescue Magnus. He will be internally grateful. He will run right to you." Valentine said, tapping his fingers against the desk. 

Jonathan slowly turned his body towards his father. His smile was back. His father was, actually right. Lightwood was keeping him prisoner. God knows if he was being hurt right as they spoke or if he was locked away in a deep, dark cell all alone. Imagine the look on Magnus' face when he saw him. Jonathan could imagine it...

_The cell would be cold and damp. There would be a door way higher than Magnus could reach. His bright clothes completely replaced with a tattered tee and old leggings. His wrists retched up above him, circled with tight chains. Keeping him stuck inside of the room. Dried yet runny mascara down his cheeks and dry lips._

_Jonathan could see the way he entered. The way that he would slam the door open, his gun tightly enclosed in his hand. Some blood against his face. But their eyes would meet as he jumped down. Magnus would look up at him and immediately start crying. Jonathan didn't want to say anything. Not yet. But he knew that he was going to fall down onto his knees, cut away Magnus' chains and pull him up into his arms._

_"Jonathan." he would whisper. The only name that his parched lips could muster. "Jonathan."_

_"Mags."_

_He would kiss him sweetly and soundly, whispering reassuringly that he would never be hurt again and that he would always be protected. Magnus would be his. Forever. Finally._

If Jonathan helped his father with this, if he helped him kill Lightwood, that spot would be open. He could watch his father take the spot as king of New York and he would make Magnus is his as it's prince. His own personal and beautiful prince. And he's always wanted to be Magnus' knight in shining armor.

This was his chance. Get revenge. Get rid of Lightwood. Save Magnus. Kill two birds with one stone. He slowly stood up. "And he wouldn't get hurt." he asked. "Right?"

"Magnus would be safe. You would be the one who would be protecting him. Not only that, but he would probably fall head over heels with you." Valentine explained. "So would also be the only one who would will _love_ him."

Jonathan sighed, nodding. He was going to have Magnus. He was tired of waiting. One way or another he would be his. "What would I have to do?"

Valentine smiled. "I need to get a few things situated. If I'm throwing off Lightwood from his little throne, I need to make sure that everything is in order."

* * *

Alec looked down from his bedroom balcony, gripping the bars somewhat tightly. The winter had officially struck down hard. It was snowing down on him. But somehow, he couldn't find himself to care or notice the cold wind and the thick snowflakes falling all around him and making a mountain on his shoulders. His eyes wandered down to the gardens. Where Magnus was. He was sitting in the snow, not minding the way that it fell around him. Just like Alec. He was holding a book in his hands, writing into it with a smile against his lips.

There was something about watching Magnus do something like that. The way the smile on his lips curved was beautiful. The way that he excitedly wrote down on the small notebook. The way he only bit on the back of the pen when he was thinking. Even by the way he was dressed. He was not shy when it came to bright colors. He was a bright star in sunflower yellow in the middle of his gardens. Magnificent. Alec smiled looking at him. Magnus was so innocent and beautiful. He wasn't involved in this world and yet he had done so much for him. Saved his life. Fed him.

It was wonderful the way that he acted around him. He was beautiful inside and out. Alec smiled, leaning and resting his chin against the railing of the balcony. With other men that he had been with in the past, he just chose in a sort of natural selection sort of process. Who looked the best? Who seemed the most wonderful under the sheets? Who was going to please him the most while underneath him? He never really thought that one was more beautiful than the other. It didn't matter than or now. Because no one would ever be as beautiful as Magnus. There was nothing they could be in comparison.

He was way too busy looking at Magnus that he didn't bring himself to look up when he heard the balcony door open up. Maryse watched her son, a bit confused. She held a cup filled with hot coffee in her palms. "Um... sweetheart?"

Alec turned over quickly. "Oh. Hey ma." he called, hugging her.

"Coffee." she said, holding out the mug. "Drink it. It'll warm you up."

"I'm fine. I have a jacket on." he said, taking the cup anyways and turning back over to Magnus. Magnus was looking up at the snow now. Seeing that it might wet his book. He slowly maneuvered himself out of the gardens. Alec watched him, his lips curving into a smile. "Isn't he lovely ma?"

Maryse smiled. "Oh he is." she said. "I heard from Jace that he cooked for you and everyone. That was very kind of him to do. He is quite exquisite."

Alec nodded. "I don't know why but... there's some part of me that feels horrible for what I've done to him."

"What did you do? Did you punch him while I was gone?"

"What? No! No. I mean bringing him into our life. I want to do something for him. To at least make it better."

"And how are you going to do that?"

Alec hummed, rubbing the bottom of his chin. "I don't know. What do you think I should do?"

"Is this a romantic thing that you should do or just a normal thing that you should do?" she asked.

"Ma, not romantic." he stated back to her, exhaling. "I just want to help him. Make it a little easier to be living here."

Maryse just gave her eldest a shrug. "I am more for the romantics if I am being honest with you. Maybe you should ask your sister. She speaks with him a lot. She would know."

Alec nodded, thinking about it. He looked back at the garden. Seeing that Magnus was completely gone now. He sighed. What could he do? He knew so little. He knew that Magnus liked to read. That he apparently liked to write. He was approachable and kind. But thinking about him made him think back. He thought about how they met. How in the cells Magnus was so worried. How he wasn't able to defend himself. No way to-

An idea struck him. He smiled, moving over and gripping his mother's shoulders. He smiled, pressing a kiss against her temples. "Gotta go." he said, turning over and jumping off the balcony.

"The stairs Alec! The stairs! Like damn, I raised you better- and he's gone. Christ almighty."

* * *

Magnus looked over at the pages in his book. He had been writing for so long that he hadn't even cared for the snow around him. His fingers lingered against the pages, hoping that he hadn't ruined his work. Magnus sighed, smiling at the words still perfect on the page. The ink hadn't been touched. He slowly wheeled down, looking up a bit too late as his chair and a body clashed. He cursed, looking up at Alec. "Oh! Sorry, I'm sorry!" he called. "This damn thing."

He continually bumped into people with this damn chair.

"It's fine. It's alright." Alec called. "Hey. I was just looking for you."

"For me? Oh no, why? What did I do?" Magnus asked, smiling widely even though his question was meant to be serious.

Alec chuckled. "Nothing. Nothing at all. I just wanted to talk to you about something."

"Okay then. Ask away."

"Do you know how to fight? Or in any way defend yourself against others?"

"No. The most I can do is carry pepper spray."

"What if the time comes that you need to protect yourself? Against someone else?"

"No one is going to hurt me here." Magnus said, suddenly shivering from fright. "At least... at least that's what-"

"No one will hurt you here, make no mistake about that." he said back to him, a growl on his lips at the thought of someone hurting Magnus. "But I'm talking about others. Outside."

"I'm not allowed to leave, so what's to worry about?"

"Well, this might sound completely horrible but you are apart of this life now. And since people are apparently after you, I thought maybe you'd want to learn to protect yourself."

"I'm in a wheelchair. I'm an open target."

"You won't be in one forever."

"And I won't be here forever."

"Magnus..." Alec called, smiling rising from the response he got from Magnus. He was a joker.

"What would I even do?" Magnus asked him.

"I could show you what to do." he answered, taking a hold of the chair's handles. "We can start small."

"Oh... okay then." Magnus said, nodding as Alec wheeled him around. "And this is to protect myself? Right? None of this is disingenuous?"

"I don't even know what that means so that should answer that question." Alec said.

Magnus chuckled. The darkest man in the world was always so charming and funny when they spoke one on one. He always had jokes here and there to share with him and little puns about the littlest things in the room around him. It was strange. But Magnus found himself always enjoying it. Alec strode him through the hallway, a welcoming and comfortable smile against his lips. He strode him towards the door. Magnus raised his eyebrow. "Alexander." he called. "I'm not allowed down-"

"Trust me, alright. Different door." he said, opening it up. He moved over to Alec, he bit his lip. "I'm going to have to carry you."

"Oh. Oh, well um... al-alright. Go ahead then." Magnus said.

Alec moved his hands underneath of Magnus' legs. "Put your arms around my neck."

Magnus nodded. He wrapped his arms up above Alec's neck as he pulled him off of the wheelchair and into his arms. Alec kicked the door opened and led him down the steps. Magnus held on tighter than he probably should, mostly because he still had his guard up. But it wasn't around Alec. It was the darkness. He rested his head down against Alec's chest for comfort. Alec's face turned pink as soon as Magnus rested against him. His heart started to beat as he walked down the steps. What was he doing to him? He turned on a light as they met the ground. Magnus eyes widened. "Woah." he said. "How did... how does this all fit in here?"

Alec smiled, looking at his training room. It was huge. Multiple walls filled with weapons and guns. Knives lined all up. Bullet clips neatly stacked. "Your father actually helped install it a couple of years ago when my father was the head of the Lightwood cabal."

Alec carried Magnus towards one of the mats. "Can I set you down? Is that safe?"

"If I lean on my good foot, I'll be fine." Magnus said. Alec nodded, moving over and setting him down. Magnus leaned on his good foot, holding down onto Alec for some balance before giving him a nod. Alec smiled. "Why isn't anyone else here?"

"It's Sunday. I let people go home if they want to." he answered.

"How sweet of you."

Alec blushed. He turned over, walking away from him for a second. He returned, pushing in a cart. He smiled, showing him what was rested against it. Magnus' eyes widened. "Alec those are guns."

"And knives. We must not forget that." Alec stated, smiling.

"Why, why do have so many... um... I uh-"

"Calm down Mags." he said, before hissing at himself. "Sorry. I shouldn't have called you that. I-"

"It's fine. Only my friends call me Mags. And you're... you're my friend. Right?"

Friends. That didn't sound right. Not for Alec. It wasn't friendship that he felt in his heart when he was carrying Magnus down the steps or when he had seen him writing in the snow. That word just... wasn't what he felt. He coughed, picking up a blade. "Yeah. Yeah we're friends." he said with a nod. "So, what's your dominant hand?"

Magnus chuckled. "I'm more a bottom if I'm being honest." he said.

Alec snorted. "Damn you Magnus Bane" Magnus laughed along with him. He took the knife in his left hand. Alec smiled, moving behind him. "Look in front of you. Can you see clearly?"

"Yeah. I can see." he said.

"Now, with the target right there, I want you to throw the knife at it."

"Alexander, I won't be good at this."

"But that is what practice is for. Now, look in front of you and throw."

Magnus nodded. He inhaled, gripping the knife. It was thin. Not like a kitchen steak knife of a butter knife. It was almost like paper thin. He held it up and threw it. It landed on the ground, scratching the floor. He exhaled. Alec chuckled. "Well, that sucked." Magnus said.

"It didn't suck for a beginner. And for someone on one leg." Alec said, picking up another knife. "Now, let's fix your posture up a tad." He pressed his hands to Magnus' waist. He inhaled sharply. Alec yanked his hands back. "Sorry."

"No, no. It's alright. I just wasn't expecting that." he says to him. "Go ahead."

Alec nodded. He pressed his hands lightly against the shorter man's waist. He turned him over. "Sometimes when you're out in the field, it could be too little too late to move into a proper stance. But once you get used to it, your muscle memory will do it for you." he explained. "Try to stay at a bit of an angle."

Magnus nodded, letting Alec moved him. "Like this?"

"Perfect." Alec said. "Now, your blade needs to be held with your pointer finger and thumb. The less pressure you hold, the easier it will be to flip out of your hand. Hold it gently."

Magnus nodded, following what he said. Alec slowly took a hold of his wrist, raising it so that his wrist lined up with the corner of his eye. Magnus inhaled. Alexander's rough and giant hands on his skin were strangely gentle. Not at all firm. Alec looked down at him, seeing the focused and determined look in his eyes. He looked stunning like that. Alec turned away, trying to hide the blush that was rising onto his cheeks.

"Now that you have a hold, line your eye with the target. And release." he said.

Magnus slowly moved his hand up and threw the knife. It flew through the air and hit the target in one of it's red lines. Magnus smiled. "I did it! Not perfectly but, I did it!"

"It takes years of practice to master the craft." Alec stated.

"How long have you been throwing knives?"

"Since I was six maybe? My father was very adamant about me learning how to run this place."

Magnus smile left him. "I'm sorry." he said.

"Don't be. He's gone now, so I don't need to worry about him again." Alec said, running his fingers through his hair.

"If it makes you feel any better, my father was terrible as well. He was never a dad to me." Magnus said.

Alec found himself smiling. "I guess that we both have terrible fathers."

"Terrible fathers make great sons. At least that's what I like to live by." Magnus said.

Alec smiled. He moved over, smiling. Their faces were close from the throwing. "Magnus... I... um-"

"Lightwood?!"

Alec growled. Magnus blushed turning away. Alec held him gently as he wobbled on his leg. He turned to the steps, seeing one of his guards. "What is it Caroline?" he called.

"You have a visitor. And he's... he's looking for Magnus."

Magnus stilled. "Me?"

"Who is it?" Alec snapped at her.

"It's Bane sir. He's here for Magnus."


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asmodeus Bane is here. And he wants his son back.

"Who is it?" Alec snapped at her.

"It's Bane sir. He's here for Magnus."

Magnus' heart instantly started beating erraticly. It felt like it was just punching his ribs. Like his heart was trying to escape. The words were almost a trigger for him. His hands moved over to his chest, clutching his sweater. His father. What was he doing here? What did he want? Alec looked down at him. He saw the worry and absolute fear in his eyes. His hands moved up to his shoulders, holding them gently. He didn't know why, but there was this sense of protectiveness around him. He could not let Asmodeus Bane hurt him. He _would_ not let Asmodeus Bane hurt him.

Alec knew that he barely knew Magnus. And that the two of them probably needed a lot more time to truly understand and know each other. But he wanted to keep him safe. There was a draw to Magnus. He was drawn to this man in ways that people would probably never understand. God. Alec turned over to Caroline. He slowly pulled away from Magnus, slowly seating him down against the mat. "Alexander..." Magnus called.

"Stay here." Alec said to him, looking up at his guard. "Where is he?"

"In the foyer sir." she replied.

"Alexander..." Magnus called, feeling his lungs start to tighten. He moved over and took a hold of Alec's jeans.

Alec turned over to him, gripping his wrist and pulling it off of his clothes. He knelt down and rubbed the smaller man's knuckles in comfort. "Stay here kitten." he said, voice deeper than usual. Magnus' cheeks turned red, but he nodded at Alec, looking down. He stood up. "Call for Jace to bring Magnus to his room."

Caroline nodded. Alec hurried up the steps and followed her. Magnus reached out, calling out one more time. "Alexander..."

Alec turned over to him. He sighed, but instead continued up the steps. Leaving him there. Magnus heard the door close. He inhaled, covering his mouth. He didn't understand what was happening around him. This entire world was scary. But somehow, with Alec around him. He slowly started to feel like he could understand. And slowly but surely, he was no longer terrified of the fact that this kind of lifestyle was one that wanted to kill or kidnap him.

And it was all because of Alec. He was sweet to him and patient. It was strange because there was something there when it came to him. He wasn't as vile as what he was made out to be at the beginning. It was just his exterior. But inside was nothing but kindness and love. And that with that energy around him, Magnus felt brave. He bit his lip, looking around the room. He pressed himself onto his palms, slowly rising up. His leg didn't hurt that much, but it was stiff. He pulled himself up, but with no support, he was at risk of losing balance. He wobbled against his good leg for a couple of seconds before finding a stance. Magnus inhaled and hopped towards the steps as fast as he could.

* * *

Alec growled as he walked over towards the foyer of his manor. How dare he? How dare he come here?! He slammed the doors open, startling all of his guards. All of them expect for is guest. He was turned away from Alec, his hands resting behind his back. "I don't remember giving you and invitation into my home." he snapped.

The man chuckled, turning over to him. "I don't remember giving you permission to host my son." he stated. "But life is just full of surprises huh."

"Your son you say. Never seemed like that before. Not from what I know about you. Not from what I've know about Magnus. Not what he's told me." Alec growled. "There was no bond."

"That is not the point Lightwood. The point is that you went into a demilitarized zone. Off limits to you. You understand that, just like how your little sister and beautiful mother are completely off limits. So is my son." Asmodeus stated back, keeping a calm and cool composure even though he wanted to pull out his gun and shoot Lightwood right in the chest. "Where is he?"

"Safe. And actually cared for." Alec said back.

"You like to play word games with me. What room?" he boomed.

"He is safe in one." Alec said back. "But I don't think that you have the right know."

"I sent my right hand here to retrieve him."

"Which says a lot about him and about you."

"Excuse me?"

"You sent Raphael here to get Magnus instead of you coming to rescue him." Alec said, using air quotes around the word rescue. "You only arrive because it is a last resort. Please Bane. You and that motherfucker, working for you have _never_ cared about Magnus."

"Oh please. You don't know the whole story." Asmodeus said. "Now where are they?"

Alec scoffed, turning over to one of his guards. "Go and get Raphael from my cells." he said. The guard nodded and hurried out. "As for Magnus... he'll be staying here."

"I'm sorry, who the hell are you to tell me about my son?! He is my flesh and blood! Not yours, not anything!" Asmodeus cried.

"I am Alec Lightwood! I run this state and this city and I protect everyone inside of it! Including Magnus! Who the hell are you? I know who you are. An infectious disease who never put in an effort into staying with his child! I am living proof about how fucked up that kind of dad is. I won't let you ruin or hurt him any longer! Magnus will be staying here with me!"

"You fucking-"

"Call me what you want Bane, but that is what happening."

As Alec said that, the doors opened again. Two guards returned along with the one he had sent off. The two of them gripping Raphael in between them. His wrists had been bound securely in front of him. A tight blindfold and gag against his mouth and lips. They slammed him down on his knees at Asmodeus' feet. The man's nostril's flared. He moved over to get in front of Alec. Alec stayed still, looking at him.

"That is my son! Not yours! Not your little play thing Lightwood. You think that I don't know about how many men you fuck in a month? A week alone? I know your game. You're playing around with him because you want an ass in your bed. Holding him here? Protecting him? Give me a break!! You are sick! I am here for my son and you WILL hand him over to me! I am his father and I am taking him home, right the hell now!"

"No, you're not!"

Alec and Asmodeus both turned over. Shock and confusion on their faces as they heard the most familiar voice. Magnus was leaning against the door, tears shining in his eyes. He was struggling to stay up. "Magnus." Alec said.

"Son." Asmodeus called out.

Raphael screamed into his gag, just hearing the sound of his friend's voice. He struggled to stand up, but was held down by the two guards.

Magnus scoffed. He pointed over at Asmodeus. "You have never and will never be my father! All you did was get my mother pregnant! But you have _NEVER_ been a father! Not to me!" he screamed, losing his grip against the door frame. He limped in struggle to stay against the floor.

Asmodeus inhaled, moving to try and catch him. Alec shoved him away, moving to Magnus. He took a hold of him by the arms, holding him up and gently. "Magnus..." he whispered. "I got him. "I'll-"

"Alec." Magnus called. "I'm fine. Let me go."

Alec didn't want to. Everything in his mind was telling him to just hold onto Magnus. Take him away from this entire situation and just keep him away from his father. But he slowly moved his hands away from Magnus' shoulders. Magnus exhaled, looking up at him. "You've lied to me my entire life. And not only that, but considered this job of yours way more important than me. Than you're own child!"

"Magnus please... please my boy. Let me explain." he called.

"I've listened to your excuses for years! You really think that I am going to believe you now! Especially now?!" Magnus cried.

"You don't understand. Please, let me explain it to you. Please my son."

"Do not call me that."

"Magnus, please-"

"Stay the hell away from me! Both of you stay away from me! I swear on my life, if I see you near me again I will fucking kill myself... then you'll never see me again!" Magnus cried, tears streaming down his cheeks as he pointed over at them.

Alec just stood there, watching this. It was almost mesmerizing. Magnus, the same person that had been scared and silent was just so brave. He was brave while standing up to his father. The fire in his eyes was was spellbinding. Alec moved over, holding Magnus by the elbows. He slowly started to sob as soon as he felt Alec's physical touch. He turned away from his father, slamming his face against Alec's broad chest. He rubbed Magnus back. God, he wanted to comfort him. He wanted to take care of him.

Shit.

He wanted Magnus Bane.

More than he has ever wanted a man in his entire life.

His eyes wandered up to Asmodeus. He has never wanted to kill a man more than in this moment. "Get them out of here." he ordered.

Asmodeus advanced, but was pushed back by Alec's guards. "You!" he screamed. "I will get you for this! My Magnus would never do something like this!"

"There was never a your Magnus!" Alec yelled back.

Raphael screamed out as he was pulled out of the room. Asmodeus shoved himself off the guards, looking at his son. He exhaled, and then at Alec. "You." he snapped, pointing at him. "I will end you and your cabal."

He adjusted his blazer and left, picking up Raphael and helping him walk out. Alec growled. But he calmed himself, looking over at Magnus. He had slowly stopped sobbing. He rubbed him lightly by the shoulders. "Magnus... he's gone now. He's gone. Come on." he said. "Let me take you upstairs. Come on. It's alright? It's okay."

"Alexander..." Magnus called. "Thank you. F-For standing up for me. Thank you so much. I-I just-"

"You don't have to thank me. Not at all." Alec whispered. "Come on. Let's go."

* * *

He knew that wasn't the perfect father. He knew that he hadn't been there. But he loved Magnus. He loved Magnus more than he had loved anyone ever. In fact, he was pretty sure that he loved his child more than he loved his fiancee before she passed. Asmodeus exhaled, looking down at the whiskey in his cup. Magnus didn't know the entire story. He just wanted Magnus to be safe. This world wasn't for him. But of course, Lightwood came and ruined it all. Magnus was never supposed to know. He loved Magnus though. So much more than before. Keeping him away was safe... but now because of fucking Alexander Lightwood, Magnus knew.

He growled, screaming as he threw his whiskey glass at the wall. The table near the wall screamed, cowering. Asmodeus turned back to the bartender. "Give me something harder. Now."

He nodded, turning over and hurrying to mix another drink. Asmodeus covered his face in his hands. "Drinking away your sorrows?"

Asmodeus growled, turning over. He met eyes with a pale faced man with red hair. "I suggest that you get the hell away from me." he stated.

"Trust me Bane, we can help each other. I'm not here to cause any sort of trouble of panic." he stated, sitting down beside him. "The name's Jonathan. Jonathan Morgenstern."

Asmodeus raised a brow. "Valentine's son." he stated. "If you're looking for some bullets, I highly suggest that you leave the stool beside me."

"It's not that." he said. "It's about Magnus." 

A second barely passed. Asmodeus took a hold of Jonathan's neck and slammed his face against the glass of the bar. He cheek and temple hit the glass, cracking it. He cried out. "Aren't you... aren't you scared of the police?!"

"Everyone in this place works for me. I might not own the building, but I own their mouths." Asmodeus cursed. "Now, do not ever say my son's name again!"

"I know him."

"Bullshit."

"I do. He is friends with my sister. Trust me. I want nothing more than to get him out of Lightwood's clutches."

Asmodeus huffed, his fingers loosening against his neck. "Keep talking, it might spare you an ear."

"I think that we can help each other." Jonathan said. "Trust me. You and I want the same thing."

"And what thing to do you wish for?"

"My father wants Lightwood's spot at the top. He wants to be the head of New York and the head cabal. You, you want Magnus away from this life. And I... I want to keep him safe. I've known him all my life. And he knows me. We're friends. I love him more than anyone. I want him, but not how Lightwood does." he stated. "If we work together, we can all get what we want. You get your son back, my father gets Lightwood's spot and I get the love of my life."

Asmodeus hummed, moving his hand away from Jonathan's neck. Jonathan slowly rose up, looking up at the weapon's dealer. His frown then slowly turned into a sly and cat like grin. "You Morgensterns like to play dirty. I love it." he said. He turned to the bartender as he handed him a drink. He placed up two fingers. The man quickly made another drink and handed it to Jonathan. Asmodeus sat down. "Tell me then, how do you plan to get your revenge on Lightwood?"

Jonathan grinned. "I have some ideas. Plenty of them."


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec knows what he wants. He wants Magnus.
> 
> But he's going to have to go about it a lot differently if he wants Magnus to want him too.

Alec slowly moved over, sitting down against the bed sheets. Being as close yet as far as Magnus probably wanted him to be. He rubbed a cup of warm tea, slowly moving it over and handing it to Magnus. Magnus smiled, wiping his eyes. He took a hold of the cup. "Thank you Alexander." he said.

"Don't mention it." Alec said. "It's chamomile. My mom told me that it's calming or something like that." Magnus nodded. He rubbed his toes underneath of the blankets. Alec watched him. He looked very shaken up. His entire body was shaking and his shoulders looked so tense. Alec moved over, rubbing his back to try and comfort him. "Are you... are you alright?"

"I'm feeling better." Magnus said, sipping his tea slowly. "Thank you."

Alec nodded. "I'm sorry that you had to go through with that." he said. "I can't imagine what this must be like for you."

"Well you kind of can. You had a horrible father as well." Magnus said.

"But at least I knew what he did. He didn't hide it from me."

"That's worse. I am so sorry that you grew up like that. With this. It seems horrible."

"It's not all bad. He's gone now, so that's what matters."

Alec chuckled. He exhaled, looking over at the smaller man. Magnus watched him, seeing the way that he was looking at him. "Alexander." he called.

"Hmm?"

"Can you... can you tell me about your father?"

Alec bit his lip. He sighed through his nose. "There's not much to tell. He was the head of this cabal. And he always intended for me to run this place when he either died or retired. I never wanted to."

"What did you want to do?"

"Honestly, I've always wanted to do something athletic of musical."

"You sing?"

"No. I play guitar."

"That's a nice dream."

"Yeah. But that's all it was. A dream. My father let me know immediately that I shouldn't ever pursue or think of my dreams."

"What? Why?" Magnus asked.

"My father never told me that I would become the head of this cabal and only the head of the cabal." Alec said to him, sighing and looking down at his hands. "So... he gave me a warning. And only one warning."

"And what was that?"

"...He killed my little brother... right where he stood." Alec said, his nose starting to twitch in anger. He got up from the bed, moving away.

Magnus stilled in shock. How could a father do such a thing? Kill one of his children? Magnus felt tears stinging in his eyes. He might hate his father, but he knew that he would never hurt him. How could a father do that to his son? His sons? That was no father. Why even have children? "Alexander..."

"He didn't even think twice. He just took the gun and aimed. And I couldn't save him! I couldn't protect him!"

Magnus slowly moved over towards Alec, setting down his tea. He limped as carefully as he could without alerting Alec and scaring him. He pressed her hand against his arm and looked up at Alec. "Alexander." he called. "What was his name? Your brother. What was his name?"

Alec sighed, taking a hold of Magnus' waist to keep him steady. "His name was Max. He was the best person in the world." he said to him. "I killed my father after what he did to him. I shot him down."

"Good." he said to him. "Good! He's dead. He can't hurt you. He can't hurt you anymore."

"He haunts me. I know that people say that he won't hurt me, but he is. He always will. He reminds me of how much I failed my baby brother. How in one second, he lost his life because I was too insubordinate! I couldn't protect my little brother. But I _can_ protect New York. And I... and I can protect you. I want to try so hard to help you and others." he said to him. "But I became my father."

"How did-"

"I became the dark, evil and vile monster that my father was. Didn't you hear what your father said about me?! I take what I want. Just like he did."

Magnus exhaled. He slowly moved his hand over and rested it against Alec's shoulder. He turned over to him. There were no tears shining in his eyes. Just his anger. Just his frustration. His disappointment. Magnus sighed, rubbing his cheek. No one had ever done that apart from his mom. It was comfortable. The soft skin telling him everything was okay before Magnus even spoke. "Alexander. Have you ever seen _The Hunchback of Notre Dame_?"

"What? Uh no."

"The entire point of the film and of the story is that there is a difference between a monster and a man. Minister Frollo, an average looking man with power and followers was a monster that's entire purpose was that he wanted a woman in his bed. He almost burned down Paris because he wanted to get his dick wet. While Quasimodo, the hunchback and the dis-formed man of the bell tower, had a heart. He was more of a man that Frollo ever was. He saved the captain's life and saved Paris." Magnus said, cupping his jaw. "That is you. You are not a monster. Not at all. That's only what people on the outside assume when they look at you. When they hear about you. They think that you are this vile person. But they do not know you. Not how Izzy knows you. Or Jace or your mother or all of your loyal followers. Or me.

"I know you Alexander Lightwood. And I know that you are not a monster. And you are not your father. Just as I am not mine. We are our own people. And you are so much different than from when we first met. You are not a monster or a beast. You're just broken." Magnus said to him. "And it's okay to take some time to glue all the pieces together again."

Alec looked down at him. His hands moved over towards his jaw. He cupped Magnus' jaw very gently, staring down into his eyes. "How do you do that?"

"Do what?" he asked.

"That? Just, just say things like that. Just make me feel better? Just do that?" Alec asked, before smiling. "How have you not have anything published?"

"I can't write anything without any kind of experience." Magnus said honestly.

Alec smiled. "I'm supposed to be here comforting you. I'm sorry."

"No. I'm not." he said to him with a smile. "I'm glad that I was able to take my mind off of my problems. And I am glad that I was able to help with yours."

Alec sighed. He wanted to keep his hands rested against Magnus' cheeks. He wanted to leaned down and kiss him. He felt his body moving forward. But... he couldn't. Not like he used to do. He couldn't just take what he wanted. Even though he has never ever wanted anything more than in this moment in time right now. Alec sighed, moving closer and just hugging him instead. He rubbed Magnus back gently. Magnus was quite shocked. Being hugged by him. Slowly he hugged him back. "Thank you Magnus." he whispered.

"You're welcome Alexander." Magnus said.

Alec slowly pulled away and looked at him. He slowly pulled Magnus into his arms and moving him over to the bed. "You should get some rest."

"Alexander, I'm fine."

"No. It's been a long day. It's okay."

Magnus rested down against the mattress. Alec slowly pulled the cover up to his chin. He rubbed a gentle circle against his good leg. He gave him a gentle smile. “Thank you for everything Alexander. Tonight and before.” Magnus said.

“You’re uh… you’re welcome kitten.” he said back, just as softly. Magnus smiled, leaning against the pillows. Alec handed him the small book against the nightstand, allowing him the chance to indulge or just sleep. Slowly, he rose from the bed, moving over to the door. He slowly closed the door behind him, a faint grin moving against his lips. He smiled. What was Magnus doing to him? Enticing him in some kind of spell?

Did he plant something in that food he cooked? Or, was he just this charming and wonderful? If charmerful was a word, that's how Magnus should always be described. Was he just as amazing to other people that he knew? His hand lingered against the door. He was perfect. Too perfect. He was a literal angel formed and placed into the dimension of hell that was the triad life of New York City. He moved his hand and pressed it against his chest. His heart was hammering. This was something that he had never felt before.

It was so strange. Strange yet a bit... alarming. Alec’s hand moved over and pressed up against the side of his cheek. It was hot. He yanked it back. He hurried past Magnus’ door and towards the closest mirror. His mother always laid some around. He looked at his reflection. For once, he wasn’t hiding in the shadows of his manor. And for once a hood or balaclava wasn’t hiding his face. He saw the pink that was all over his cheeks. From his cheekbone all the way to the tip of the nose. He turned away, hiding his mouth in his hands. Why was he like this? Why did Magnus draw him in like this? His heart started to hammer harder in his chest.

Magnus. Magnus. Magnus. The name was all over his mind. Wrapping around his brain and tightening like a chain. Alec made his way down the steps, moving over towards his office. He felt something for Magnus Bane. Something that he wanted to explore. His fingers slowly started to run against the wood of his desk. He wanted Magnus Bane. He’s never desired something or someone more than just right now. He inhaled, knowing that he was thinking crazy right now. But he found himself no longer inside of his office and right outside of his sister’s bedroom. He knocked lightly. 

It only took a few seconds for the door to open. He met the face of his little sister. A similar blush against her pale cheeks without any makeup. She looked up and her wide smile slowly faded with worry. “Hey, I’ll uh… I’ll call you back, okay? Bye.” she called, before hanging up. “Alec? What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing, it’s nothing wrong. It’s just. Ugh! This is a long story.” he said. “You mind if I sit?”

Izzy nodded, welcoming her brother into her room.

* * *

Clary waved goodbye to the last parent and his small child. The kid gave her a gentle wave back, clutching her pottery close to her chest. She sighed, leaning down against the island. She turned over, pulling off her apron and yanking her hair out of it’s messy bun. Working at a pottery shop was always enjoyable. Especially when it was an adorable little girl’s birthday party. But it was tiring. She exhaled, setting down her apron. She picked her phone and looked down at it. Her frown got bigger. She hadn’t heard from Magnus for weeks. She understood that she was heartbroken because of his father, but he never would have to gone AWOL. She thought that she could at least be kept in the light of everything happening. The last thing that Clary wanted was for her friend to be alone in a time of need. She rubbed the side of her phone, looking at the wallpaper. A picture of the four of them, posing at Comic Con. Magnus, a wide smile on his face with his Doctor Strange costume on. 

She missed him. Clary exhaled, typing in his number. She tapped her foot, worriedly. Hoping that she would get to hear Magnus answer him once more. But she sighed, hearing his voicemail instead of his own sweet welcoming voice.

_Hey! You’ve reached the voicemail box of Magnus Bane, the self proclaimed prince of Brooklyn. Leave a message!_

Clary sighed, hearing the beeping tone. “Hey. Hey Mags. It’s Clary. You know, your biscuit?” she called, with a sad chuckle. “I miss you. I just want you to know if you’re alright. You don’t have to tell me where you are. I just want to see if you’re okay. Maybe you can just give me a call? Text me. Simon and I have been trying to reach you. And I’m sure that Raphael has been searching New York nonstop.” she said. “Can you just… call me back? I love you Mags.”

She sighed, hanging up the phone. She shoved her phone into her jean pocket. She moved towards the mirror, looking at herself. Some paint had gotten smudged against her makeup. She huffed, moving over to pick up her compact powder. Clary sighed, hearing the door open and it’s bell ring. She set it down and turned over, putting a smile on her face instead. “Hi there.” she called, turning over. “Sorry, but we’re closing up right- Jonathan?”

“Hey sis.” he called, his hands in his pockets.

“Uh, hi.” she said back, waving lightly. Her eyebrows raised at the two men that were behind her brother. They were huge. It was almost like they had pumped themselved filled with steroids. No one could be that buff. It was admirable strangely. “Who are they?”

“Don’t worry about it.” he said to her. “What stuff do you have here?”

“Stuff? Are you robbing me John?” she asked with a chuckle.

“No.” he said with the same chuckle. “Your stuff I mean.”

“Oh. My phone, charger, bag, wallet. Why?”

“We need to stop by your apartment later then. But right now, we need to go."

“Go?”

“Yeah. I need to take you somewhere a little safe and secure."

“What? What for?”

Jonathan sighed. “It’s… I can’t say it here. You need to come with me. It’s safer.”

“Are you in trouble?” Clary asked, worriedly.

“No. I’m not.” he said to her, taking her shoulders gently and kissing her forehead in comfort. “But Magnus is.”

Her eyes widened. “Magnus? What? How-”

“Trust me. Okay? I have never lied to you before. Why start now? Come on. We need to go.” he said to her.

Clary bit her lip. Something was fishy, but her worry for Magnus was stronger. She hurried over, picking up her bag and charger. Jonathan wrapped her arm around her shoulders, pulling her along with him out the door.

She held onto her brother as they entered the cold New York streets. She shivered into her hoodie, damning herself from earlier for having not checked the hourly weather. Jonathan rubbed some warmth into those goosebump ridden shoulders as they approached a black car. The two men moved in first, taking the front seats. "Jonathan who are they?" she asked.

"They're... bodyguards." he answered, putting it simply knowing that the next few hours, her might brain might fry like an egg.

"Oh. Why do we need bodyguards? Is it because of whatever happened to Magnus?"

"Possibly. Go into the car. Sit."

Clary nodded, rubbing her bag strap and sitting down. Jonathan followed her in. He rubbed her palms in comfort as the car moved on. It took a few moments for the car to reach its destination. Clary eyes widened in shock and amazement at the beautiful apartment building in front of her. It looked like some sort of scam. Like a condo with prices too good to be true. Jonathan helped her out of the car and walked her over to the front door. They walked to the door. The two buff men opened it door for the two. Clary's eyes widened seeing who was in front of her behind closed doors. "F-Father?" she called.

Valentine smiled, opening his arms towards her. "Hello Clarissa." he called.

Clary moved back into her brother's arms. Jonathan held her calmly though. "It's okay. It's okay." he said to her.

"I am not here to hurt you. I'm here to help." Valentine said.

"Is is... is this about Magnus?" she called. "Is he alright? Where is he? What happened to him?'

Valentine sighed, grabbing her by the wrists. "Come with me daughter." he called.

Clary swallowed, slowly following him inside. Valentine led her into a room. Her eyes widened once again, seeing someone else inside of the next room. "Mr... Mr. Bane?" she called.

Asmodeus frowned at her, but slowly moved up from his seat. "Hello there Clary."

"What the hell are you doing here?!"

"My son is in danger."

"Danger? What kind of... what kind of danger?"

Jonathan sighed, taking her by the hand and kissing it in comfort. "Come. Let us explain. There's a lot that needs to be discussed."


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec wants to do something for Magnus. And he has an idea thanks to Izzy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so let me start with this. I really am not at all good. I am not okay. At all. I was editing this chapter last night when... something happened. It was a bombshell. As you know, I have already lost two people that I know to the coronavirus. But I just lost someone else. Someone that I was closer to than the others. I grew up with him around. My father and him were close friends. His daughters, my sister and I were raised like relatives. I always thought of him as a relative.
> 
> I could remember those nights as kids. We could go over to his house often in the summer and spring. My dad and him would watch boxing fights and I would hang out with his daughters. We have gone to multiple birthday parties for each daughter and he has come to mine. And I just recently saw him at another family friend's sweet 16.
> 
> He just passed away last night.
> 
> I do not know why. I was told nothing since I am just a teenager. But it is still death and I am completely shattered. Considering that I just saw him almost a month ago. And had just texted his daughter a week ago. He is gone now. And... I can't even put into words how shattered I am. I loved him like an uncle. I can't even fathom a summer without him. It's unimaginable to be. I loved him so so much. Losing him has hurt me immensely.
> 
> So forgive me for not responding when I post. I will still post this week as promised. I feel bad taking away your happiness because mine was taken away. That's not fair to you. So the week will continue. I will try and respond back, because I think that it will be a good distraction for me. But I am not sure. I am quite numb. RIP my dear friend. I hope that there a throne waiting for you up in the stars. 💔

"That's it. That's all." Alec said, letting out a long sigh and leaning down and resting his elbows against his thighs.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes Iz. I'm sure."

Izzy raised her eyebrow, falling down against her bed and it's pillows. "Woah. That is a lot." she said.

"Yeah. Yeah, I know. And I am well aware that I sound crazy. No. I sound insane." Alec said.

"No! No, no, no, no, no, it's not insane. You don't sound that way." Izzy said. "You're just starting to fall in love."

"Love? What? Me? No." Alec stated, getting up from his spot against the chair and turning away from his sister. "No. No. It's not love."

"Oh but it is."

"Isabelle!"

"You came here asking for my help and opinion, remember? That is what I can tell. My prognosis is that you are in love baby."

"I know that I came to you for help. I just... I'm not in love yet. I'm not. I just... I just. This feeling that I have its, strange. It's different. I want to see where it takes me. I don't love him yet. I just... I've never felt this way about anyone. Ever." Alec said.

"So... for know you just like Magnus?" Izzy asked.

"I guess." he stated.

"Ahhhhh! Alec!"

"isabelle!"

"Oh what are you complaining about? You have never liked a man. I have earned the right to celebrate!"

"What do I do Izzy?"

"I dunno! You know Magnus."

"But I don't! If anything, he confines in you a lot more than he has than me. You know him better as a friend."

"Well, if you are asking me, Magnus loves books and movies. We like to watch movies in his room when you are out on late missions. And he really likes this little bookstore down in Brooklyn and the Kent movie theather. He also really, really likes baked goods."

"Who doesn't?"

"You."

"I like cake."

"When you're drunk, you like cake."

"That doesn't mean that I don't like it in general. And everything tastes better when you're drunk." Alec stated, rubbing the bottom of his chin. "Where is this bookstore?"

"Oh, you don't know where it is?" she asked.

"I don't leave this place during the day Iz."

"Unless you're hungry. In food wise or-"

"Isabelle!"

"Okay, okay. I'll text it to you. But may I ask a question?"

"No."

"What exactly are you going to do with this information?"

"Nothing Iz. I just want to take a look around the place. Find something for Magnus." Alec said, looking over. He saw his sister's smile as wide as a crescent moon. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Well, it's just... because, this is the first time that you've done something like this for a guy! It's so romantic of you!" Isabelle said.

"Sure. Whatever you say." he said, quickly. He gave her a side hug. "Thanks Iz."

"No problem." she said. "You know that I love when you come here asking for help. For stuff that doesn't involve murder or sewing up your broken skin."

Alec chuckled. He moved over, pressing a kiss to her temple. "Love you dork."

"I prefer the term nerd. If anyone is a dork here it's you." she said, hugging him.

Alec tickled her under the armpits before running out of the room. He exhaled, shutting the door behind him. He quickly ran his fingers through his hair. The things that Magnus Bane was going to do to him... he no longer minded it. Alec was actually going to continue doing what needed to be done to keep a smile against Magnus' face. He wanted to delve into the world that was the beauty of a bookworm.

* * *

The shop was always quiet after eleven. It was nice. Peaceful. Calming. Everyone had purchased their books and had left the store to deal with their own lives and nonesense. Todd exhaled, sipping his tea as he moved over to lock up for the night. He usually stayed for another couple of hours after closing, wanting to enjoy his own book or watch a movie in his office. He recoiled, tasting his cold tea. Now he had a reason to run to his office. Warm up his tea and maybe sneak a snack. He moved over towards the back, where his office was. But he stopped when he heard the knocking of the entrance. The older man sighed, moving over to the door. He looked over, seeing someone there. But his face was hidden by the shadows that his lights did not provide. "Uh..." he called. "We're closed sir."

There was no response. Todd raised his eyebrow. He turned over, deciding that the man was probably another drunk and he would leave him alone after a couple of minutes of being disregarded. But he jumped, hearing the door slam open. He spun around fast. The man now stood inside of his shop. And even though he couldn't see his entire face, he looked at Todd as if he had done nothing wrong. Todd's eyes widened in fear, horror and concern. He opened his mouth to scream, but the man moved in. Almost gliding towards him. He grabbed him and covered his mouth tightly.

Todd screamed into his hand, but it was muffled. It was almost kind of humiliating how easily he was subdued. The man looked down at him, slowly shushing him. Todd stiffened, looking around for something to help him break free. But his eyes wandered. He saw a tattoo against the man's neck. It looked like two sevens connected with a line through it. Oh no... why was Lightwood here? Alec noticed the man's silence and slowly moved his hand off of his mouth. "Don't. Scream." he said, simply.

Todd nodded vigorously. "M-Mr. LIghtwood. I'm sorry. If-If I had know that it was you. I-"

"Ssh." Alec said slowly, rising his finger to his lips. Todd instantly bit his lip to stay quiet. "Your daughter... she's getting married soon yes?"

Todd's eyes widened. "How did you-"

"She is getting married, is she not?" Alec asked. Todd nodded. "And you and her fiance's family can't afford a few things. Her wedding dress. The flowers. The venue. Your poor daughter. She would be crushed."

"I do what I can to make money." Todd said. "I just want to make her special day happy."

"Well, your precious Jess and her precious Ryland will have a happy day. I can help make her fairy tale wedding to her prince decent a dream come true."

"You... you can do that?"

"Of course I can. I can do a lot. And I can imagine the look on her little girl's face. Very happy. Tons of pictures with that superstar smile. But I need something from you first."

"What... what can I give you? Anything. Name it and it is yours sir."

Alec looked up, around the place. "This place... how much do you make in a year?" he asked. Todd couldn't answer, biting his top lip and looking down. "Not enough I'm assuming. Even with all of the tourists."

Todd nodded. "I'm struggling."

"Okay then. How about I take it off your hands. For double the amount you bought it for. With an additional summation for your daughter's perfect wedding day." Alec said.

Todd looked down. "Why-Why do you want this place?"

"None of your concern. Now, do we have a deal?"

Todd nodded. Alec held out his hand. He took it and shook it like it was no tomorrow. "Thank you! Thank you Mr. Lightwood! I'll get to selling all these-"

"No!" he bellowed. He cleared his throat quickly. "The books... the books stay."

Todd's eyebrow raised. "Al-Alright then. Thank you... thank you!"

He hurried over to his desk, gathering all of his items. He walked to Alec, a box in both hands. He pulled out a pair of keys, placing it in Alec's palm. He gave a generous and thankful smile one last time. And with that, he hurried out of the store. The little bell chiming as he went. Alec hummed, looking down at the key. He smiled himself, rubbing the golden ring.

* * *

"Magnus... Magnus... Magnus, hey."

Magnus hummed, slowly moving over from his side to his back. He smile, raising his arm to stretch his body out. All while still be very careful of his leg. He wiped the drool from his lips as he looked up. Alec was hovering over him. Looking at him with a grin on his cheeks.

He was adorable. And somehow, that wasn't weird to say about a cabal leader. "Oh..." he called, still sleepy. "Good morning Alexander."

"Hi. Morning. Sorry to uh, wake you." he said, rubbing his nose. He pulled himself away from behind a hurricane over Magnus. "I brought coffee."

Magnus smiled, sitting up fully as the prospect of caffeine. Alec moved over, helping up sit up properly and handing him the cup of coffee. Magnus wrapped his fingers around the handle, smiling widely, "Thank you Alexander." he called.

"You're welcome." he said. "Hey, I um... can you get dressed?"

"Dressed why?"

"I want to show you something."

"Me? Show me something?" Magnus repeated. "I um, oh-okay then."

Alec smiled at his shock. His smile was very rare for other people who frequented the manor. But for Magnus, he saw it a lot. It was so wonderful. Seeing the small amount of his perfectly straight teeth and seeing the way his lips curved to the side. It made his heart beat faster too, he had no idea why. He moved over, walking away from the bed and over to the bathroom. “I’ll uh, I’ll hide in here until you are done.”

“Okay.” Magnus said, nodding.

Alec smiled, turning over and winking at him. Magnus saw his cheeks turn bright pink in the reflection. What the hell was Alec doing to him? He would have been pretty sure weeks ago that this was Stockholm Syndrome or that he was literally going inside. Like Harley when he fell for Joker. But this, for some bizarre reason was way different than that. It was Stockholm Syndrome because he wasn't a captive. He was free to roam where he wanted and do what he wanted. Alec was very fair to him. And he wasn't going crazy. He had weld a knife while cooking and didn't all of a sudden decided _welp, it's now or never!_

He was actually himself. Magnus Bane. And he knew that he was feeling something for Alec. Magnus quickly got dressed, not wanting to keep Alec waiting. Alec was so kind and generous though. He would understand that it would take like ten minutes to put on leggings with a cast thicker than a Twix bar around his ankle. For someone that he heard people describe as impatient, irrational and off the damn wall beastly, he was patient. It was sweet how Alec acted.

Magnus pushed some hair out of his eyes and inhaled deeply, before he called out to him. Alec came out of the bathroom a few seconds after. He smiled at him. “Wow.” he said, admiring the fiery red on his shirt. “You look great.”

Magnus smiled. “Thank you.” he said. “Isabelle did a great job picking out some clothes for me. I’ll have to thank her the next time I see her.”

“No worries. She already knows how much you appreciate it.” Alec stated, placing his arm around his waist. “Come on. Let’s go.”

“Where are we going Alexander? It’s a surprise.”

“I’m not very fond of surprises.”

“Well you’ll like this one. I promise.”

Magnus nodded, limping slowly towards his wheelchair. Alec made sure that he was secure inside. Magnus chuckled at his antics. His protective nature was kind of hot..Alec rubbed his shoulder gently, before helping him out of the room. Alec was silent the entire time. But it wasn’t eerie, awkward silence like the last time they had been together with the wheelchair. It was comfortable silence. Magnus rubbed his finger against his necklace as Alec brought him outside of the manor. He had seen it from the woods, but it wasn’t as unkempt as before. This looked straight outta fairy tale castle’s entrance. His eyes widened, smiling widely. Alec smiled, seeing Magnus' admiration. He was glad that he let Underhill clean up the place.

He wheeled Magnus around and over into a wide garage. Alec shut on the lights. Magnus gasped. Alec could not help but jump. He was not at all expecting Magnus’ reactions. His eyes widened, seeing the vast array of cars and bikes lined up. “Holy… oh my! Oh… wow.”

Alec’s brow raised. “You like all of these cars?”

“I’ve never been a car person personally but… oh my fucking stars! There are so many here!” he called. “You can’t just not admire them!”

Alec shrugged to himself. He hadn’t thought of it like that. “Tell you what. How about you pick my car today?” he said. “Then when your leg is all healed up, I’ll let you drive it.”

“What? You’d really let me drive one of these cars? Aren’t they worth a fortune?”

“They’re cars. I’ll just get another one.”

“How much money do you have Alexander?” 

“I have enough.”

“That sounds like something someone insanely rich would say.”

Alec chuckled, wheeling Magnus down the garage. His eyes wandered to each beautiful car in the lots. He moved his hand over to Alec’s, stopping him when he saw something. The cabal boss looked up,seeing the car he was looking at. It was Izzy’s favorite car. A dark purple Tesla with a dragon decal on both license plates. “Guess we’re taking this one.” he said, wheeling him over towards it.

“This is such a nice model.” he said as the doors opened for him. “Your girlfriend must love you. She’s a pretty lucky gal.”

“Girlfriend?”

“Oh. I’m sorry. Wife? You just looked like you would be married. Maybe that’s just my inner romanticized version of this kind of life.”

Alec chuckled as he pulled Magnus up into his arms. “I’m not married. Nor do I have a girlfriend. I’m pretty fucking gay.”

Magnus blushed again. He moved some hair out of his face as Alec set him down. He chuckle. “Well then, lucky me.” he said. "And nice to meet you _pretty fucking gay_ , I am Magnus Bane."

"Har har. Funny." Alec called.

 _Oh please beautifu_ l, Alec thought, smiling at how wonderful Magnus looked with an exciting light in his eyes. _I’m the one who’s lucky._

Alec moved over, sitting down in the driver’s seat. “So, where are you taking me Alexander?”

“I know that you might no like surprises, but I am not ruining this one for you.” he said. “You ready?”

“More than.” Magnus said with a smile. "Lead the way."

Alec grinned, he started up the car and slowly moved out of the garage.


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raphael is guilty about what he has done.
> 
> Alec shows Magnus his surprise. 🎁💝
> 
> Jonathan and Clary talk about the cabals.

"There. That should do it." the man said, biting off the access thread and tying the knot. He heard the wince coming from his patient. It happened. He rubbed his back in comfort as he wrapped his newly tied stitches in a thick bandage "How does it feel?"

"Like stitches doc." Raphael snapped back, looking down at the stress ball he had been given. He threw it across the room. The doctor winced, hearing it slam against the wall.

"That's the first time that I have heard that. So, I will give you some antibiotics for those infected cuts. Should you need anything else I-"

"Get out."

"Mr. Santiago, I'm just-"

"Get the fuck out!" Raphael snarled at the man in front of him. The doctor squeaked in fear, turning around and running out of the room. Raphael sighed, getting up from the operating table and walking over to the mirror. He looked at himself.

Other than his usual pale skin, there was a bruise starting to sport against his neck from where Lightwood had choked him. His lips were chapped horribly from the gigantic gag that he had been shoved inside of his mouth. He then looked down at his bare body. He had been roughed up a bit by Alec's inferiors when they had brought him down to the cells and tried to restrain him. A few cuts there had gotten infected. Apart from there wasn't much that needed to be treated medically. He suffered a split lip and a couple of cuts on his head and arms. But that was nothing compared to the cut in his heart.

Raphael had never felt more guilty. He hated himself. Even more than ever. He had promised himself that he was going to keep Magnus safe. That he wouldn't let him sip from the fountain that was the New York City cabals. He didn't want that for someone as compassionate and harmless as Magnus. Raphael knew that he was different. He and Magnus grew up together. They were both born into the normal world and at the same time, the world of organized crime. While Magnus' father was well known among the families, Raphael's father worked hard along side Bane. When he died, Raphael thought that it would all be over. But, he couldn't let it be over. He saw the dangers that his father put himself in and the dangers that could surround him and his friend just for being related. Raphael could care less about himself. But Magnus? No. He was his best friend since practically birth. He would never see Magnus hurt.

He huffed, hearing the door opened. He turned over, seeing his boss in front of the door. Raphael turned back to the mirror, picking up his shirt from off of the doctor's table. Asmodeus sighed, setting down the take out coffee cup he had in his hand. "What did Harrison have to say?" he asked.

"I'm fine." he stated. "Nothing to horrible. He helped my cuts. Antibiotics. Same shit as usual."

"Good. I'm glad." Asmodeus said. "I brought you some tea." Raphael didn't respond to him. He just continued putting on his shirt. "Do not ignore me."

"I think that I've earned the right." he sneered.

"How so Santiago?"

"Look what's happened to Magnus. All of this... I just... ugh."

"I understand how you feel. I know that Magnus is angry with the two of us right now. I understand it." Asmodeus said to him. "It's not our fault."

"It is!" he screamed. "I could have told him years ago! You could have too! And then none of this could have happened! If he had known, I could have just at least protected him that way! We all could have!"

"I've told you millions of times why I could not do that!"

"You have given me excuse after excuse. No valid reason! No real reason why he shouldn't know! Him knowing, that would have been better than this outcome! Now Magnus hates us. You more than ever. And Lightwood-"

"I am taking care of this situation." Asmodeus said, placing the cup inside of his hands. Raphael sighed, taking it and sipping. The two lowered themselves into a seat.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"I am going to get my son back. And I will be able to fix everything." he answered. "I am going to be going getting some help alongside the Morgensterns."

"The Morgensterns?! Sir-"

"Times are tough right now. Magnus is not safe there with Lightwood. I am getting him out of there."

Raphael raised his eyebrow. "But Morgenstern just doesn't want to help you... he will want something else. You know him. We always does. What did he ask for, what does he want?"

Asmodeus inhaled through his nose. "I am not obligated to tell you that."

"Sir-"

"I am not telling you. Alright?"

He sighed. "You know they play dirty. They lie, they cheat, they will kill so many people to do what they need to. You wanna trust that?"

"What other choice do you have for me to take Raphael?" Asmodeus asked. "It is either this or just let Lightwood think he can keep my son captive. I am not going to lose him. I am doing this. End of discussion Santiago."

"But sir-"

"End or discussion!"

"Fine." Raphael said, getting up from his seat.

"Where are you going?" Asmodeus asked.

Raphael didn't answer as he stormed out of the room. This did not feel right. And he was going to get to the bottom of this.

* * *

Clary bit her lip, looking at out the bedroom that would now be hers. It was a lot bigger than her old one. In fact, she was pretty sure that this bedroom was her apartment bedroom and kitchen combined. But it didn't feel anything at all like her old one. She didn't feel safe here. Everything felt new and scary. She felt like she was in this giant castle. Alone. Not even a dragon to keep her company. And yet she didn't know or understand anything that was happening around her. What her father had told her was strange. And for some reason it was very shady. They had just repeated the same things. Magnus had been kidnapped. Somebody dark and evil in this life was the one keeping him captive. That their plan was to get revenge on him.

But there was so much more. Why would Lightwood kidnap Magnus? They wouldn't tell her. Saying that they didn't want to upset her more or that she wouldn't be able to handle it. But she wasn't a ditsy princess that knew nothing. Clary could assume it was because of associating with her brother. Her brother was apart of this mob life. That liar. And Jonathan said that his kidnapper assumed Magnus was apart of Jonathan's life. Then why wouldn't Lightwood let Magnus go? He was innocent in all of this. Just like she was. He chewed on her nail, falling down into the love seat that Valentine had purchased. There was so much more to this. Why would her own father care about Magnus? This was the same man that made an effort to have a relationship with her once a month. She never saw him other than those brunches or those movie trips. She can see why he wasn't that around. But then again, why would he care about Magnus?

Clary would talk about him. But not deeply. She would just add something here and there about what had happened with him or a trip they themselves have taken. So what sense of protectiveness could he feel for her friend? The same went for that bastard Asmodeus. What the hell could he want? He barely even spoke during that small meeting of theirs. What would Magnus get for him? Magnus didn't seem like someone they wanted to legitimately rescue because his safety and live was in danger. Magnus seemed like a prize to her father. Clary huffed.

What could Magnus do for him? She knew him. She knew that he probably had no idea that any of this shit was going on around him with that Lightwood person. Clary huffed. There was something that she wasn't being told. Including why she was here. She didn't understand why all of a sudden she needed to be here. She was fine with her brother and her friends for years. Now all of a sudden she needs protection? Because her brother fucked up and let her best friend get kidnapped by an unstable man?

"Clary."

She jumped, getting up from her seat and turning over. She sighed, rolling her eyes seeing that it was the devil she was speaking of. Jonathan gave a smile her way, walking inside of the room. He gripped the handles of the tray that he was holding, seeing how tense she was. Clary sat back down, pulling her boot up and retying it's lace. Jonathan sighed, walking over to her. He set down the tray right by her side. "I thought that you might be hungry." he said. "I brought what you like."

Clary hummed. "Why am I here?" she stated.

"Because you need to be protected. It's not safe out there with this happening." he stated, opening her can of soda and pouring into the separate glass.

"Protected? I'm pretty sure that I can take care of myself. Besides, I was fine before all of this was brought into my life."

"I'm sorry that I didn't tell you earlier. I know that you're probably really mad at me about that."

"I couldn't tell you Clary."

"So how long have you been doing this then? How long have you been keeping this from me?" she said. "No. Matter of fact, how long have you been lying and putting me and Magnus and Simon in danger?"

"In danger? I never put you in danger! I've been protecting you all!" he slammed back at her.

"Protecting? Magnus fucking got kidnapped because of your fancy jacket. And somehow, it comes off as complete and utter bullshit to me that that is protection." she snapped back at him.

Jonathan sighed. "I know that you are mad at me. But you have to understand that I did not have a choice in this. Protecting you all is why I did this. I did this for you! Why can't you just understand how much I have done for you? I risk my life every night to keep yours safe. All I want is for you guys to be safe. I'm so sorry that this happened, but being mad at me will do nothing."

Clary's face softened. "I... I understand. I understand immensely what you have been doing for us. But-"

"You're just shocked. It's okay." he said, hugging her. "I just never wanted it to happen like this. I never expected you to find out this way. I was planning to tell you. I was. I promise you."

Clary sighed. "I don't forgive you. I... I need time to... to think. I just-"

"I understand little sister." he said with a smile. Pressing a kiss against her forehead. "Just know that you are safe here. And that I am here for you. Okay?"

She nodded. Jonathan smiled wider. Clark caresses his cheek before sitting back down. Jonathan kissed her head again before he slowly moved out of the room. As he shut the door, he smiled. It was always good to know the right rhetoric to manipulate who is important. Clary needed be kept in the dark. Or else this wouldn't work.

* * *

Alec pulled the car into the back of the building, knowing that Magnus would be able to notice where they were from behind. Magnus knew this store. He was here a lot according to his sister. So the back entrance, he probably wasn't acquainted with that. He turned to Magnus. Magnus' eyebrows were raised, looking around to try and see any landmarks. He was curious. This is why he hated surprises. He hated waiting and speculating for so long. Alec chuckled, seeing the way his nose twitched in thought. _Like a kitten_ , he thought.

"You ready?" he asked, quickly getting Magnus' attention.

"I guess so. As long as this isn't some kind of chop shop and you're gonna slice off my fingers and sell it to the black market." Magnus said, curling his fingers at him to be spooky.

"I wouldn't do that... to you at least." Alec said with a light chuckle, stepping out of the car and walking over to Magnus' side. He pulled out his wheelchair first, setting it up and helping Magnus sit down.

Alec moved to take a hold of his handlebars, but Magnus pressed on. Moving forward without his help. "I got it Alexander. You just... tell me where to go. I'll wheel there." he said.

Alec nodded at his independence, shoving his hands into his pockets instead. "Alright then. It's that door right there."

Magnus nodded, moving himself to the pitch black door. Alec still held the door for him though, making Magnus chuckle. "And so chivalrous as well as kind. What else can you do?"

"Rip out a man's spine with my bare hands."

"Never say that to me again."

"Noted."

The two fell into a happy chuckle as Magnus wheeled inside. "But... can you really do that?"

"I can't. I'll need to cut the skin open first. But that doesn't sound as scary." Alec closed the door and took a hold of Magnus' handlebars. "Hey um... you have to close your eyes."

"Why?" Magnus said, his head twisting to the side with a fake confused grin.

"This is a surprise. Remember?" Alec stated back.

Magnus smiled a bit wider and closed his eyes just for Alec. His ears perked up like butterfly wings flapping. _When did I start doing that?_ , he thought as he wheeled Magnus deeper inside of the store. He brought him to the middle of the shelves and let go. He smiled, running away from him to open the curtains.

"Can I open my eyes now?" Magnus called.

"No! Not yet!" he called back, just as excitedly. He pulled open the last blind and slowly walked back over to him. The sunlight is what tied everything together beautifully. "Okay... open them."

Magnus opened his eyes. They widened, suddenly realizing where he was. The bookstore that he loved so. His hands went over and covered his mouth. The sun shined on all of the books that he loved to read. "Holy... oh my fucking... shit!" he cried.

"Do you like it?" Alec asked, smile wide. He was looking forward to Magnus' excitement. Nothing in his wildest dreams would have amounted to Magnus' actual smile. It was beautiful. If Magnus could jump up and down, he would.

"I love it! How did you- are we even allowed to be in this place? Todd will be-"

"Todd's not here. This place is mine now. And by mine, I mean yours."

Magnus wheeled over to face Alec. "Wait? Yours? Mine? How?"

"Todd wasn't making enough. I offered him double the amount he purchased it from and then some extra money for his daughter's wedding." Alec explained.

"But... no one got hurt... right?"

"No one got hurt."

"And you did this all for me?"

"It was the least that I could do. After everything that I've done to you. I ruined your life"

"You didn't ruin it Alexander. If anything what you are doing now is making it so much better." Magnus said, taking his hand and looking around. "Oh! This is so wonderful."

"And it's all yours." Alec said to him. "I'll put closed signs up. No one will come until you're ready and-"

Alec didn't finish what he was saying. Magnus just moved in on him, hugging his legs tightly since it was as far as he could reach. He jumped back in shock a bit, but Alec eyes widened. He wasn't expecting this. Just a humble thank you. He let out a slight chuckle. Slowly, he moved down onto his knees and held out his arms. Magnus squeezed him without second thought. Alec snaked his arms around and wrapped them around Magnus' back. He smiled. Magnus Bane was the best hugger.

 _God fucking dammit,_ he thought.


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Simon, being the dork that he is, is very nervous about asking Izzy on a date. So he confides in a friend. They both share news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story hit over 10000 yesterday. Thanks so much for that! Pretty big milestone! 👏🏽🥳
> 
> Even though I'm not in the best mindset, I really appreciate it 💜

Simon tapped his fingers against the table in unconscious nervousness. He hummed, trying his best to think about his situation rather than panic about it. Life was changing for him. And he was really excited about it. When he had gone to that movie, he didn't think that he would be meeting such a beautiful girl. Or asking her out on a date. But for some damned reason, everything became different when he was around Isabelle. She was this breath of fresh air, especially with everything going on in his life right now.

With Magnus and Clary suddenly gone, all he had was Raphael and a couple friends from work. He understood though why Magnus had left him. He was gone because of his father and his neglect of him to the fullest extent. Clary on the other hand was just busy with a new job that she had gotten. Simon didn't mind. He just really needed to confide in someone. Especially now that he had someone that he was really interested in. Magnus had dated before, but he wasn't around to help. Clary had answered his call, but said that she was really stressed and couldn't attend their meeting. So when the door opened all of Simon's nerves just started to pour out. And he hadn't even reached the table yet. "Okay! SoImetthisgirlandshe'sreallyreallypretty! Likefuckingbeautiful! Wemetatthemovies. Youknow, thatmovieyourefusedtogotomewith? Anyways, weweresittingnexttoeachotherand-"

"Woah, woah, woah! Fucking woah! I haven't even sat down yet!" Raphael called out to him, pulling out the chair and sitting down.

"Right. Right, I'm... I'm sorry." Simon called, sighing. Raphael exhaled putting on a smile. Simon took a sip from his lemonade. "You hungry?"

"I could eat. I don't have to be back at work for another couple of hours either." Raphael said, picking up his own glass. "Thanks for ordering for me."

"I know how much you like your tea and whiskey. Don't know how you can drink this stuff though." Simon sighed. He turned over and noticed some of the small white bandages against his face. And the deep purple bruise against his neck. Even though he was sporting a dark blue turtleneck. "What happened to you?"

Raphael bit his lip and rubbed the collar, pulling it upwards. "It's nothing. I got into a scrap with someone at work." he said to him.

"Oh. I hate how spoiled people act towards authority figures." Simon said. "Was he drunk?"

"Yeah. And... and very... enlighted. Anyways, what did you want to speak about over lunch?" Raphael asked, grabbing at the fries in the middle of the table. "Apparently from what I've managed to hear from your little rant, you've got a lady love."

Simon's cheeks turned red. Raphael chuckled. He was such a dorky guy that it was kind of unbelievable sometimes. "I already know what you're thinking. I'm not a dork, okay." he said, huffing out his cheeks.

"I know you're not. Anyways, what's the issue with this girl?" he said.

"I just... I don't know how I want to approach this. Approach her."

"Do you have her number?"

"Yes. I do."

"And have you been texting her?"

"I have."

"And I think that it is pretty safe to assume that you two have very similar interests. Especially if you met at a nerdy movie." Raphael said.

"The Thing is not nerdy. It's a classic." Simon retorted.

"Not the point." Raphael said. "So, what else does she really like?"

"Well, from what we have spoken about before, it seems to me that she really likes comic books and movies. She also really likes these strange little cartoons on YouTube. But she seems so out of my league. I don't know what to do."

"I have dated anyone since high school so I should probably not answer that question."

"Don't you have any advice for me?'

Raphael sighed. "Okay. I think that the whole spoiling and wooing thing is as stupid as skinny teas on Instagram feeds. I think that you need to adapt to what she likes."

"I already like what she likes."

"Not what I meant."

"Then what do you mean?" Simon asked, closing his menu as he already knew what he was planning to order.

"I mean that I want you to plan around her interests. A normal dinner? Kind of cliche and boring. Better for when you have been together for quite awhile."

"Then... what should I do?"

"You said she likes comic books right? And I can assume that if she likes comics, she'll like manga as well. So, I know a great sushi place around Bay Ridge area that is an all anime theme. And this weekend and they're doing trivia. Winner gets free meals for the rest of the month." he said.

Simon's eyes widened. "Really?! That sounds so dope!" he said.

"Don't say dope."

"That sounds so cool!"

"Better."

"I think that she would love that!" he continued.

"There you go." Raphael said, looking down at his drink. He then sighed, his smile turning into a frown.

Simon noticed his frown. "Are you alright?" he asked.

Raphael looked up. "Hmm?"

"You look upset. Did something happen?"

"No I um... I uh... I wanna ask you something."

"Is this one of our cryptic questions so you can find out what I want for my birthday?"

"No."

"Then shoot. Ask away."

"Okay. So... I know someone-"

"Is this a romantic someone?"

"Can you please let me finish?" Raphael huffed.

He didn't manage to begin though. The waiter came back, this time taking their orders with a smile on his plump red cheeks. Raphael sighed as the man left with their orders and their menus. He exhaled, turning over to his friend once again. Simon smiled. "Sorry." he said, placing one hand on top of his. "This is important. Go ahead."

Raphael inhaled through his nose. "Let me keep it vague, because it's work stuff." he said. "I messed up really badly."

"I really doubt that you messed up so badly that you ruined something."

"I did kind of ruin something."

"Okay then... tell me what happened then?"

"I... I know someone. And we were really close. Like really close. And I had been keeping something from him for years."

Simon raised his eyebrow. "Are you talking about Magnus?"

"Wait, huh?" Raphael called out.

"I'm not an idiot."

"You're literally the idiot of the group!"

"As a joke! Not really!"

Raphael's mouth was still wide open. He looked over at his friend, almost dumbfounded. "How could you guess?" he said.

Simon hummed. "Magnus has been gone for almost a month and a half. He wouldn't just leave like this and not call." he said. "I know Magnus. I'm worried about him. And he would answer my calls even if he was upset or angry. He would never go AWOL. Not on us."

Raphael sighed and nodded. He rubbed his finger against the rim of his glass. "You're right."

Simon nodded. "What happened to him?" he said. Raphael sighed, his head falling down in shame. "And whatever it was, I doubt that it was your fault."

Raphael sighed. "I... um... Magnus... okay! Magnus... Magnus has been kidnapped."

Simon just stared at him. Looking him up and down. He moved over into his vest and pulled out his phone. "I'm calling Luke."

Raphael surged over to the table, taking his phone from him. Simon called out, reaching back for it. Raphael shoved it inside of the inner pocket of his blazer. He let out a loud laugh, trying to get people to look at away from them. Raphael grabbed Simon's hands and pulled him closer. "Are you fucking insane?" he whispered.

"Are you fucking insane?" Simon whispered back. "And why are we whispering?"

"You don't know the full story Si." he said.

"He's been fucking kidnapped. What else do I need to know?"

"A lot."

"How much is a lot?"

"It's just a lot."

Simon looked around and exhaled. He pulled away and leaned into his chair, sipping up the rest of his lemonade. "Go on." he said. "Continue."

"I'm apart of the life of organized crime." Raphael said.

Simon raised his eyebrow. "Huh? Like... like Al Capone?"

"No like Phillip DeFranco. Yes like Al Capone! Expect this time it's like way worse."

"Why?"

"It is the 21st Century and the families are fucked."

"Families. Families? What families? How do I not know about this? I've lived here all of my life. Back track a bit, start from the beginning. No. Start with Magnus. What does this have to do with Magnus?"

Raphael wiped his nose as the waiter returned with some more fries and different dipping sauces. "You know how Magnus went on a date with Jonathan?"

"Yeah."

"Jonathan is apart of this life too. He is the son of one of the well known and dangerous families."

"So is Clary apart of that family too?" Simon asked.

"No. She's not apart of this either. It is just Jonathan who really is a factor in this."

"Okay... so what happened?"

"Jonathan wore something with the family's insignia on it. Everyone in the cabal wears it. But since he is the son, his is bigger and more notorious and noticeable. That is supposed to be a back off sign for others who might try something. He must have worn it so that he and Magnus would be alone the entire time. But there was something going on that night. There was another militia from another family that was looking for someone apart of the Morgenstern cabal."

"So they followed Magnus. Because Jonathan, being chivalrous and lovesick, gave Magnus his jacket along with that mark."

"Yeah. And they took him."

"What do you have to do with this though?" Simon said. His looked at him before his eyes widened. "Are you also apart of a mob?"

"Kind of." Raphael answered, dipping a fry into spicy sauce as he saw his friend's eyes widened.

"Oh! This is interesting! Oh this is good! Oh! Sounds like something out of a novel. Magnus should write this!"

"Hey, hey, hey Si. Si." Raphael called, snapping his fingers. "Focus here."

Simon closed his mouth, nodding. "Okay. Okay. Right. Sorry. How are you apart of this? Do you work for Jonathan's family? Or for the family that kidnapped Magnus?"

"No I..." he sighed. "I work for Magnus' father."

Simon just stared at him. Looking him up and down. He moved over, slapping Raphael across the face. His face jolted to the right. His skin instantly marring red. Simon slapped his hands over his mouth. "Holy shit! I'm so so sorry! I didn't mean to slap you! No wait, yes I did. I wanted to slap you. But are you okay though? No, I don't care if you're okay! Damn, I should have punched you! No, I should have just shut up! I don't now how to feel right now!"

Raphael hummed, knowing that he would have felt this way. "I get it. Nice slap though. My cheek is gonna bruise." he said. "And hopefully you opened up one of my cuts."

"That sounds bad. Should I fix it?"

"Thanks Nurse Lewis, but I deserve it."

Simon threw a fry at him. "Shut it. I'm still... kinda sorta mad at you. And I'm a surgeon not a nurse!" Raphael couldn't help but smile. "Okay, okay... tell me why you work for that... jerk. Especially when you constantly threaten to kick his ass!"

Raphael held up his hand. Slowly, he started to explain why. He took his time to explain it to Simon. The words slowly just came to him. Like calming water coming into a bathtub. Simon stayed silent while looking over at him. He didn't interrupt him. He just listened to him. Slowly, Simon looked down. Raphael sighed, finishing up. He wiped his nose, turning away from his friend. Simon sighed.

"Raph." he called. "I had no... oh Raphael. Why didn't you talk about this? You didn't even have to tell Magnus. You could have told me. Or Clary. At least get this off of your chest."

"I couldn't. Simon I just..." he sighed, slamming his forehead against the table.

Simon exhaled, rubbing the back of his head. "I get it man." he said. "It's okay... so what did Magnus say?"

"Magnus hates me."

"That's understandable."

"But I want to make this right. All that I ever wanted was to just wanted to keep him safe. All of you guys safe. That's why I did this behind your back."

Simon sighed. "Look, I don't know anything about this kind of stuff. And now that we're talking my problems seem way less important than your problems."

"You have a girl that likes you, isn't that not strange?"

"Raph."

"Sorry."

"Then let's play this out a bit. What is the conflict between everyone?"

"With Magnus being kidnapped, he could of simply be let go and sent home. But he wasn't. Now his captor is showing defiance to not only Asmodeus but to Jonathan and his father." he explained.

"Because Jonathan knows and loves Magnus. So he wants him home." he finished.

"Yes."

"So both Magnus' father and Jonathan want him back. There's one conflict. And then revenge on this... what's his name?"

"Whose?"

"The boss that has Magnus."

"Oh. Alec Lightwood."

"Okay. So they want revenge on this Alec dude."

"You're very good at this."

"Okay. I see where the problem lies now. Jonathan's father is hiding something. Something really bad. And it has to do with not just Magnus but this Lightwood guy. Because he has no real connection to Magnus, so why rescue him? And so you need to make amends in order for him to trust you again that way we can dissolve this impending gang war. And the way to do that is to find out Morgenstern's plan for Magnus and Lightwood all together." Simon said, taking a break to take a sip of soup. He looked up to see Raphael's dumbfounded face again. "What? Am I right?"

Raphael chuckled. "Right on the money."

"Where is Magnus currently?"

"In the manor of Alec Lightwood." Raphael said, clearing his throat as the waiter brought their meals. He continued in whisper. "He is the biggest cabal boss in New York City. He is ruthless."

"Is he going to hurt Magnus?"

"I don't think so."

Simon let out a sigh of relief. "What about Clary?"

"She's being kept safe in the Morgenstern manor. It's a condo, I know where it is. If anything, I'll keep her safe." Raphael said.

Simon inhaled. "I don't like this."

"I don't either Si." he said. "I don't either."

"So, what's the plan?"

"I need to find a way to securely and safely find out Valentine's plan."

"Is it time for Valentine's Day yet-oh. That's his name. Right. Sorry."

"It's fine."

Simon nodded. "What do you need me to do?"

"You don't need to do anything."

"I want to help save my friend. I am going to help save Magnus. It might seem that right now, Mags is safer with that Alec guy, but how long might that last with a war going on? Right now we need to stop whatever plan this Valentine's Day dude has for him. I can try to help."

"By what?"

"I don't know. That's what you're here for. You can call me if anything happens, okay? I can try to help."

"Still though? How?"

"I'm a surgeon." he stated as a matter-of-factly. "I can help medically. And if anything, I can help knock someone out with something if need be."

Raphael nodded, agreeing. "But only if there is no other option. I don't want you involved too deep. Should something happen to me... I want you to be able to finish what I started."

"Cool."

"Si."

"You know what I mean. "Simon smiled. He leaned across the table, taking his hand in his. Looking at Raphael's worried and somber face. "Hey. You'll make this right. I know you will. I believe in you."

Raphael smiled. _I sure hope that I can._


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raphael is looking for answers...
> 
> Alec wants to do something for Magnus, again.

Jonathan sighed, moving out of the gym. Sweat was dripping against his forehead. He had pushed himself too hard. Now his knuckles hurt like hell. He needed something to do instead of thinking about Magnus. He was worried about him. If Lightwood had done anything to Magnus, he was going to kill him. He wiped some of the sweat from his forehead as he turned down the sidewalk, moving over to go and get his car. He looked down at his jacket, moving to try and reach his keys. He raised his eyes, hearing the sound of someone moving. "Come out." he said, moving into his waistband and gripping the handle of his gun. "This will get ugly if you stay there in the dark."

"What do you want with Magnus?"

Jonathan sighed, smiling. He turned over seeing Raphael standing right there in front of him. "Raphael." he called. "How are you?"

"Answer my question." he said, walking over towards him. "What do you want with Magnus?"

"Why do you assume that I want something from Magnus?"

"I've known you for years. We both got into this life around the same time. And before that, I have known you as Clary's lovestruck big brother. So I know you inside and out. Don't test me."

"You don't know me at all buddy." Jonathan rolled his eyes. "And for your information, I want what you want. I want Magnus home, safe and away from Lightwood."

Raphael exhaled through his nose. "Then what does your father want?"

"He wants nothing to with Magnus. His side of this situation has to do with Lightwood. He wants to kick him off of his high horse. Shoot him where he stands and give him what he deserves." Jonathan explained. "And I think that I can pretty much sum up what you want as well."

Raphael sighed. "You don't know what I want."

"Considering that you are over here threatening me, I can assume that you too want revenge. You know how Lightwood is. You know how he gets. He is dangerous. Evil. Vile. And Magnus, our Magnus, sweet and innocent Magnus is living with him. Lightwood is a ticking time bomb. I know that you agree with me. I know that you want to help me. Help us." Jonathan said, placing his hand against his shoulder.

 _No,_ he thought. _From what I heard that night, Alec doesn't want to hurt Magnus. He wants to protect him. It's different than what he and his father wants._

Raphael neered. "You want Magnus to love you."

"Of course I do." he replied. "I've loved him all of my life."

"Do you think that he will even consider falling in with love with you when he finds out that you have been lying to him for years? You should have seen his face when he found out about me and all of my lies."

"I am different."

"And how will you be different?"

"I will be different because I didn't steal the father he never haf."

Raphael sighed, rolling his eyes. "That's low."

"Maybe." Jonathan stated. "But it's true."

"Magnus already hates me. He'll hate you."

"No. He won't. Trust me."

Raphael sighed. "Believe what you want. But I know Magnus and I know how this make him feel? But that wasn't the question. What are you planning to do with him?" he yelled.

Jonathan just simply chuckled again. "To save him from Lightwood. Isn't that what we all want?

"I am going to find out what you're planning Morgenstern. Make no mistake about that."

Jonathan just gave him a cocky stare. Raphael's hands clenched into fists. He huffed, before turning over and walking away. Jonathan chuckled, stepping into his car. He hummed, running his fingers along the steering wheel.

_Better keep my eye on you._

* * *

"You bought him the bookstore?!"

"Mom, please, It's too early to yell."

Maryse smiled even wider, clapping her hands together. "What do you mean?! It is never too early to be a mom! Oh, I'm so excited! I've earned the right. I'm your mother!"

Alec sighed, picking up a piece of waffle. "I understand. But it's not a big deal."

"You bought a fucking bookstore Alec!" Jace chimed in, coming inside with a pot of coffee.

Maryse slapped his arm when he sat down. "No cursing at the table." she reprimanded.

Alec chuckled, eating his food. "I just wanted to make him feel better about his situation. It wasn't a big deal to me."

"But it was to him. He sees now that you care about him." Maryse said, picking up her mimosa.

"Alec cares about Magnus way more than just platonically though." Jace added, biting into a blueberry.

"Jace!" Alec called out.

"Wait, what? Do you like Magnus?" Maryse asked. "How did I not know this? Why wasn't I told?"

"Because it's not a gigantic deal ma." Alec said.

"Join the club ma, I was kept in the dark too." Jace added, sipping his coffee and giving his brother a cold stare.

Maryse turned over to Izzy as she walked into the room with another tray of fruit. "Isabelle! Did Alec tell you that he likes Magnus?"

"No, Izzy don't answer." Alec called, pointing at his sister.

"Yeah." she said, shrugging.

"Isabelle!"

"Why the fuck didn't you tell me this?! I am your mother!!" Maryse snapped.

"No cursing at the table." Jace added with a chuckle.

"You told Jace and Izzy, but not me?"

Alec groaned. "I only told Izzy. And that was to ask for advice. "

"I can just tell. Look at him." Jace said. "He's dark and edgy, but I can still read him like a book once you get to know him."

Alec rolled his eyes, picking up his own mimosa. He sipped it. "Look, it's not a big deal."

"But it is." Izzy added, sitting down next to her big brother and pressing a kiss against his cheek. Alec sighed, rolling his eyes. "You really like him. And this is the first time you're showing affection to another guy! This can only get better!"

"Better how?"

"You just slowly show your affection and then Magnus will show his back! Boom! You're in love and he's in love!" Jace called.

"It doesn't work all like that Jace, these things take time." Maryse said.

"I know ma." Jace and Alec said in unison.

"I know that I like him, okay? Okay..." he said to his mother, sighing. He wiped his face with his hands. "I just... look, what do you want me to do? I have no idea what I am supposed to do. Look at him! He's so beautiful, inside and out. He is so kind and wonderful to everyone. He has a good heart and... and well look at me!"

"I am looking at you my son." Maryse said. "I see nothing wrong. At all."

"Of course you don't. You love me unconditionally. Magnus though... how can I make someone like him fall in love with me? I kidnapped him."

"Technically, I did that." Jace added, raising his hand. 

"You just need to show him who you are on the inside." Izzy added. "Not the bad ass, dark, brooding, Batman like Lightwood facade."

"Just be yourself." Jace added also.

"You've already showed him that you care through the book store. What else could you do for him? What else does he like?" Maryse asked, raising her mimosa up.

"Well... he loves writing. He loves films also." Alec said. He could feel himself starting to blush just thinking about how wonderful Magnus was.

"Did you take him to the Kent?" Izzy asked.

"What the hell is that?"

"I told you about it!"

"Did you?"

"Yes! It's a small theater in Brooklyn. Magnus would love it."

"And if you bought him an entire bookstore for when his legs heal you can probably convince the owners to play whatever movie he likes best." Jace added.

"Do you know what's his favorite?" his mother asked.

Alec hummed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I uh... I know that he likes The Hunchback of Notre Dame. He was talking to me about it before. Maybe he'd like a movie night..."

"I'm sure he'd love that!" Izzy called.

Alec looked down. A movie night? Would that work? Magnus liked movies. Maybe he could wrap his arms around Magnus like he saw in one of Izzy's TV shows? Then he could talk to him about how he felt? His smile widened. "I gotta go."

"Go? Now? Where are you going? You've barely touched breakfast!" Maryse called, knowing full well where her son was off to.

"I have some planning to do." Alec said to her. "Jace, cover for me?"

"You got it man." he called.

"Good luck!" Izzy called out.

Alec smiled, turning and leaving the room. Maryse smiled. He turned over to her daughter. "Now, about your love life."

"Mom!" she called out.

"Wait, you have a love life? I thought you weren't going to be dating for a while?" Jace asked.

"I'm not!" she called out. "And how did you know?"

"I shoved you out of me. I can tell every single thing about you." she said. "Now just tell me, who is he?"

"And whisper it. Or Alec will probably send a SWAT team out for him." Jace added with a chuckle.

Izzy sighed. "His name is Simon. And I'm not in love. We've just been texting."

"Aw! How adorable!" she called. "My babies are growing up!"

"Mom!"

* * *

Raphael stormed inside of the apartment. He was so angry with everything that was happening. He felt like he was ready to break a wall. He had listened to Simon's advice to try and corner Jonathan. If only he knew how difficult he was. Raphael bolted through the halls. As he walked his eyes wandered over noticing someone. A familiar redhead. He stopped, stilling.

He has been made aware that she was here. He knew. But after speaking with Simon, he found it more and more difficult to try and speak with her. Raphael was aware that he has to. The avoid the situation that was Magnus. Her knowing would be helpful to her, so she knows she is safe here. He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. She and Magnus were so similar. The two of them were held away from the world that was organized crime. All to be kept safe. And now here they were. Pulled into this and watching slowly as it rained fire down on their happy lives.

Raphael slowly moved inside of the room. Clary was resting on the couch, cradling a cup of tea. Raphael inhaled. "Clary." he called, knocking on the door as lightly as he could.

She jumped, turning over. She let out an exhale though, seeing who it was. "Raph?"

"Hey." he said, sounding almost defeated.

"What are you doing here do you... do you work here? For my father?"

"No. I don't. I... I do work for someone."

"Who?"

"Magnus' father."

She didn't say anything. Her nose curled up ij disgust. She raised her hand, slapping him hard across the face. _Twice now_ , he thought.

Clark snarled. Instead of screaming bloody murder like she wanted to at him, she knew that he didn't deserve her anger or her time. She just turned over, her back to him, and just sat back down. Staring out the wide window. Raphael nodded, licking his lips. "Okay then. I guess I deserve your silence."

"No. You deserve way more than that." she snapped back. Cursing at herself to needing to quip back.

"Can I at least explain myself to you? Please? It's the most that you deserve." Raphael said.

Clary bit her lip. "You know... I really shouldn't... but, Raphael. Someone's not telling me something." she said. "They say that Magnus is in danger and that someone is holding him but there something going on. I-I dunno. About it. But I'm being kept in the dark about all of this. So you must know something, right?"

"I might." he answered.

"Then tell me. The truth. I wanna know the truth." she said, huffing and puffing. "What happened to Magnus? Where is he? Is he okay? Is he-"

"Okay, okay, okay, okay! Okay... I will. Just... just tell me what is it you want to know." Raphael said, sitting down next to her.

Clary sighed. "What does my dad want?" she asked.

"I don't know." he said. "They're keeping me in the dark about that too."

"What about Magnus' father? What does he want?"

"He wants Magnus back at home, safely."

"Why would he want Magnus home safe? He's never been apart of his life! He's been apart of this life instead of being an actual father!"

"I am aware." he said.

Clary snarled. "And you just chose to work with him."

"It wasn't a choice Clary. It has never been a matter of choice for me!" he yelled back, standing up. He huffed, turning away from her and rubbing his eyes.

Clary slowly raised her eyebrows. She set down her cup of tea and walked over to her. "What do you mean by that?"

Raphael sighed. "It's nothing."

"No." she said. "It's obviously not nothing to you. It matters obviously. I want the truth, so tell me Raphael. Tell me."

Raphael inhaled, looking down at the ground. "You want to know why this was never a choice... I'll tell you way. My father worked for Magnus' father. He was his right hand man. That's what he did to provide for me, my _mama_ and my sister."

"You have a sister?"

"I had a sister."

Clary inhaled sharply. Raphael still struggled to say it. Clary, hugged herself, gripping her elbows tight. "What-What was her name?"

"Her name... was Rosa." he gasped.

"What... what happened to her? To Rosa?"

Raphael sighed. "Rosa was born about ten or eleven years after me. My parents were so excited. To finally have a daughter. It was going to be wonderful. When she was born though, my mother became very weak. She wouldn't stop bleeding and her was so pale and clammy. She ended up bleeding out to death. My father and I were devastated. But we had Rosa. So we thought that we would slowly be able to get over it. Rosa became the light of our lives. She was beautiful... adorable. I loved her. With all of my heart. But a little bit after her first birthday, Rosa got sick. Badly sick. She got pneumonia. My father and I tried everything that we could to get her healthy. He spent money all over to help her. But nothing could. We were too late. My baby sister died young... right after my mother died.

"Two deaths. Barely a year apart. First my _mama_ , then my _hermanita_. Her death... fucked me and my dad up. We were all by ourselves. There was no more happiness to be shared. Just me and him up until he died. We were close. And he gave me a glimpse of this world once. After he passed, I swore to never do what he did. I met you guys shortly after and I thought that that would be it for me. That I would finally be at peace. That I could have my own family. One that stayed. For awhile, it was everything I hoped. All of us were happy.

"But after meeting Magnus and you all, I noticed the shadows lurking in the rooms we were in. They eyes peering through the windows. I couldn't let them get to you, I wanted to protect you all. I had to. You were the only family that I had, and I could prevent what happened to you. So, I started to work in the cabals like my father. I worked my way up. I was given some passes because of my father, but I never did this to hurt you or Magnus. Believe me."

Clary looked down and then back up at her friend. "Raphael... we... we can-"

"Take care of yourself? I know. But these people are cruel. And would horrible things to you or Simon or Magnus in a heartbeat." he said back. "I wouldn't let anyone hurt you... not after God himself just rained down on my sister and mother with no mercy."

Clary slowly moved her hand to touch his shoulder. He flinched away. "Raphael I... I never knew that. That you had a sister. Or that this happened to your family. I'm so sorry."

Raphael sighed. "I never wanted Magnus in this life. Or you. I never wanted this all to happen. And you can believe or not.But I did what I did for you. All of you."

"I believe you. I do."

"I know that's a lot."

"I get it. I do."

Raphael nodded, a small grin curling on his lips. "This isn't right."

"What do you mean?" Clary asked.

"Something's up. With this plan. Your father isn't telling us something and he's planning something with Magnus." he said. "I don't trust him."

"Neither do I." she said, rubbing her arm. "He gives me the creeps when I'm around him."

"He's hiding something." Raphael said, taking her arms lightly. "It has something to do with Magnus. I need to figure it out. I am going to figure it out Clary. Trust me."

"I do trust you. But I want to help you." she called.

"Clary-"

"No! I am helping you! I am his daughter. He'll bring down his guard around me. So will Jonathan. I can find something out, trust me Raphael. Let me do this. Please."

Raphael sighed. "If you can stay hidden, keep a low profile."

"What about you?" she asked.

"I have someone that could help with some aspects. I need to call her." he said, turning over to moving to the door.

"Raph!"

Raphael turned over. Clary sighed, moving over and hugging him. Raphael stiffened. But slowly, his hands moved and he rested them against her back. "I'm so sorry. I love you Raph. You know that. I was just-"

"I get it. It's fine." he responded. "And we're going to figure this out. Together."

Clary pulled away and smiled. Raphael nodded. He turned on his heel and hurried out the door. He had fixed things with Clary. And they were on the same page. Something was going on behind closed doors.

And Raphael was desperate to get the damn key.


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone's jealousy and obbession and someone's interest and lust worries Magnus and brings Alec on the warpath.
> 
> Not in his house... not in his house...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope that you all throughly enjoyed the daily update week! I thought that it was nice to have a routine to wake up early, make a nice up of coffee and edit a chapter for you the enjoy. Maybe I'll do it again.
> 
> I am actually almost done with the story. I'm up to chapter 50 currently and I think that I have maybe ten or fifteen more that I wanna add. Hope that your Saturday is going swimmingly. Love you all so much 💚

Magnus was pretty much was the most beautiful man inside of the manor. He was positively radiant. Dazzling to the eye. Angelic on the inside and out. Elegant like a prince. Even in a wheelchair, everyone in the manor could agree. He was amazing. He was beautiful. Alec's guards loved him. They thought that he was kindhearted and a wonderful person to be around. When he wasn't being protected, they always found themselves in insightful conversations. Either about social media, comics, mom shaming or just good food. Conversations about him were always around the halls of the manor. But Magnus never heard them. It was always silent as he wheeled around the halls. He didn't hear the praises he received. But there was a smile on his face nonetheless.

His mind, like normal, was always elsewhere. Never just right in front of him. He was constantly reading a book that Alec so graciously brought him from his bookstore. Enjoying the story and the characters.

It was kind of strange to say that. Even to just himself. His bookstore. He owned one now. Alec was so kind to go out and purchase one for him. And not just any one. The one that he was always in. The one that he loved going to since the end of college. Alec had purchases that exact bookstore. Just to make him happy. Just to make him smile. Magnus' lips curved into a smile as soon as he even thought about it. It had taken a bit of time for the two of them to find some sort if common ground. The two of them had hate. But Magnus lived by the statement that time heals all wounds. Him and Alec weren't a wound of sorts, but they were a lot better than before.

And he couldn't help but blush thinking about Alec. He was so different from their first moment. Now, he was the epitome of the perfect man. He was chivalrous towards him. Always there. Friendly in all aspects. Even when he was vulnerable, telling Magnis about his past and the brutal murder of his baby brother, he still cared about him. He was still worried about him. If this wasn't as dark as it was, he would be great boyfriend material.

Magnus didn't pay attention to his wheeling, ending up at the stairs when he meant to find the elevator. He looked up from the pages for that one split second, seeing his chair start to go down. His eyes widened. He moved to try and stop it, when his chair was yanked back and pressed against the ground again. Magnus exhaled, pressing his hand to his chest.

He huffed, angry at himself, but turning over to see his rescuer. A man walked over from behind the chair, kneeling down in front of him. He pressed his hand against the arm rests of the chair. "Are you alright sir?"

Magnus looked up. He sighed, seeing who it was. One of Magnus' guards who he had known from before. He usually stationed at his door for a couple of days in the week. "Oh. Thank you Aeneas." he called.

"You're welcome." he said. "Maybe you should hold off on the whole riding thing while reading."

"Maybe." he said back, clutching his book.

"What is it that you are reading this time?" Aeneas asked, trying to get a peek at the title.

"Nothing special. I've read it before. So um... am I interrupting something? I'm sorry if I had to stop you from doing you work." Magnus said.

"No, no. I was just doing the rounds. Rescuing you was just a very nice bonus." he said.

Magnus coughed. This was awkward. Aeneas was really nice. Strong too. His muscles reminded him of Hercules. He was someone's definition of prince charming. He had the name and everything. But for him?This kind of attention wasn't like when Alec did it to him. Alec was always so gentle. And his little puns were so adorable. Hard exterior, but a sweet inside. Like a blow pop. And having him there by Magnus' side was always amazing. Just thinking of Alec, he felt his cheeks getting hot. _Fuck! Now he would think that I'm blushing because of what he said! Ugh, dammit Magnus_ , he thought.

Aeneas smiled. He blushed as well, moving himself over to stand up a bit straighter. "Hey um... are you going downstairs?" he asked.

"I was." he answered. "I was going to go and meet Alexander."

"Alexander? Do you mean-oh! Oh, Lightwood." he said. "Alright then."

Magnus nodded. Aeneas moved his arms underneath of Magnus' legs. "Wait, what are you doing? I-woah!" He pulled Magnus up into his arms. He moved over, picking up his wheelchair as well. He slowly carried him down the steps. "I uh! I um... I uh, I hey, I don't need to be, um well... I don't-"

"Well your ankle is still pretty messed up." Aeneas answered, moving him down towards the bottom steps. "Let me carry you."

"No, please. Put me down."

"It's okay. No need to be scared."

"I could take the elevator. Put me down."

"Magnus, I got you. You-"

"Hey!"

Magnus turned over, hearing the very familiar voice. Alec was standing there at the bottom of the steps. He sat up, happy that Alec was here. But he sat up a bit too fast. The pain went to his ankle. He cried out. Alec's eyes widened. He stepped up the last few steps quickly, pulling Magnus from Aeneas' arms into his arms. Magnus leaned into his touch unconsciously. "He obviously didn't want to be carried." he snapped.

"Sorry." Aeneas said. "He had no other way to get down the steps. I was trying to help."

"There was an elevator." Magnus huffed to himself.

"Help some other way." Alec snapped. "Get back to work."

"Yes sir." he said, bowing slightly before setting down the wheelchair and rushing up the steps.

Alec sighed, walking down the rest of the steps. He set Magnus down into his chair, slowly making sure that he was comfortable. "You really are something huh, Alexander?" Magnus said to him.

"I saw that you were distressed. So I was here to help." Alec stated back, moving to the back and wheeling him down the hall.

"Well I thank you sir." he said. Alec had to hide his red nose at the sound of Magnus calling him sir. "Aeneas is a sweet lad, but he's just a bit too flirty. He reminds me of Gaston, but without the arrogance."

"That's one way to put it."

"So, what did you call me here for darling?"

"Oh I um... well, I have the day off today. I have Underhill sent off to deal with somethings for me. So, I wanted to ask if you would like to take a trip with me?"

"A trip. Where?"

"Well, I wanted it to be a surprise like last time. But, you told me that you're not fond of surprises. So, there is this theater that Izzy told me about. One in Brooklyn that's pretty small-"

"Oh the Kent!"

"How do you know by that vague of a description?"

"I go there all the time by myself. Whenever there's a movie out I get to have alone time to enjoy it. What about it?"

"I wanted to know if you wanted to see a movie there with me." Alec said. "There. Just the... just the two of us."

Magnus smiled. He blushed. Alec was really bad at asking people out. It was kind of adorable. "I'd love to."

"Wait, really?"

"Really."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that Alexander."

Alec smiled. "Alright! Alright, alright! That's... that's great!" Magnus chuckled at his excitement. "I just have something that I have to fix and then we can head over. Okay? Is that cool with you?"

"Completely cool with me." Magnus said, taking his hands. "I'll meet you in your office tonight, okay?"

Alec nodded. He hugged him tightly before moving off. Magnus blushed, hugging the book in his lap. His heart has never beat this fast for someone before.

* * *

Alec brushed some hair out of his face. He was smiling so wide. Magnus Bane was something so different. Something so grand. He felt like being with him was an adventure. He turned over, wanting to get one last look at Magnus as he wheeled away. He smiled at how beautiful he was. Magnus was perfect. Perfect for him. He hoped that he would be able tell him how he felt today, and not stumble on his words.

Alec turned away, his face then meeting with someone completely different. Tan skin and dyed pink hair. "Hello sir." he said with a smile.

"Sergio." Alec stated, his smile fading.

"What's with the face?" Sergio asked, his head turning to the side. "Aren't you happy to see me?"

"I would happy to see you doing your job." Alec said to him.

"Aww. Don't be like that sweetie. I'm just here because I saw you smile. I thought that maybe I could make that smile wider. Just for you. I've started taking pole dancing lessons. Maybe a private snow would make you happier than you are now?"

"Sergio. Get. The. Fuck. Back. To. Work."

Sergio hummed, completely ignoring him. He rubbed some hair out of his face and started to roll his hips from side to side. "I loved what we did the other night. You were very dominant with me. And I think that I've been a very bad boy. I think that I could need a spanking. Maybe you could tie me up to your bed." he moved closer and rested his lips against Alec's ears. "I can ride you my mighty horse. You can fuck me until sunset."

Alec pushed Sergio away from him. "Are you insane?! Get back to work!"

"You asked me there for a reason. And you enjoyed it. You want it again, right daddy?"

"Do not call me daddy."

"Aww, come on baby. You know that I was the best ass that you ever fucked."

Alec shoved him harder, making Sergio fall down onto his ass. "Stay back and stay in your place! Touch me again and I will fucking ruin your ass."

Sergio moved onto his knees. "That's all I want. For you to cum in me time after-"

"Enough!! Do you want to lose a finger? I'll take it without repercussion!"

"Please Lightwood. I-"

"Fuck off." he snapped, turning over and walking away. His good mood was now gone.

Sergio whimpered, seeing him walk away. He sighed, getting up. He wiped his hands on his pants and turned over. He raised his eyebrows. What could he be smiling about? He turned over, walking down the hall. He looked through the doorway and saw him. That man. Magnus. The one that everyone was obsessed with. Including Lightwood. He growled. Alec was so beautiful. Strong and perfect. Everyday hard at work to keep his city safe. Fucking dark and evil. Dominant in the world and in the bed. He deserved someone who could listen to him. To provide for him and just do what he said.

This is what Sergio was born to do. To serve Lightwood in more ways than one. He was going to be his sub. This Magnus guy was not going to ruin that for him. He turned down the hall. He needed to get rid of him. He inhaled, slowly moving in with a smile on his face. "Excuse me?" he called.

Magnus looked up from his book, turning his wheelchair around. "Um, yes?" he smiled.

"Have you seen Alec?" he asked. "He called for me."

"Oh. He just went down where you went in from." Magnus said.

"Damn. Great." he said.

"Sorry." Magnus said. "Nice dye job."

"Oh thanks. I did it myself."

"Did you have to bleach it too?"

"I did. That was a bit harder than the dying. Burns the shit outta your scalp."

"But it is nice work. Seems pretty worth it to me. I'm Magnus."

"Oh I know. Alec talks about you all the time."

Magnus blushed. "He... he does."

"Oh yeah. Whenever we're together he talks about what a great friend you are." Sergio said.

His smile slowly faded. "Together? What do you mean? Like for work?"

"Oh. I don't work here." Sergio lied. "Alec and I have been going steady for a couple weeks now."

"A-A couple weeks... but Alexander-"

"Has been nice to you? Oh. Sorry sweetie, that's just how he is. It's the code of the Lightwood. That once you save his life, he owes you. He's just trying to relieve his debt." 

Magnus looked down. Wow. Of course Alec was seeing someone. Look at how handsome he was. And how handsome his apparent boyfriend was. But Alec said that he wasn't seeing anyone when they went to the bookstore. Then again, that was a while ago. Maybe he didn't know what he felt for this guy. And now they were dating. Magnus scoffed at himself. That was just all in his head. Him trying to try and be happy around him. Alec was just being nice. He should stop getting his hopes up over his kindness. Magnus nodded. "Right. Well, you two seem like a... a cute couple." he said. "You seem like his type."

"Aww. Thank you." Sergio said. "Hey, maybe I'll see you around? We can talk about dying hair together."

"Maybe. Yeah. I gotta, I gotta go. Nice to meet you though." Magnus said, faking a smile and wheeling out of the hall.

Sergio waved him goodbye, a wide smile on his face. "Goodbye you man stealing bitch." he whispered.

* * *

Alec tapped his foot. He was getting worried. Magnus was supposed to meet him a couple of moments ago. He wasn't here yet. The sun had already set and most of his house workers had gone home. He looked down at his watch. It was almost nine now. Alec sighed, running a hand through his tangled hair. He was getting worried. He hurried out of his office and walked over to Magnus' room. Maybe something happened to him when he was in the room. Maybe his leg had ended getting to sore. Or he wasn't feeling well? He lightly knocked on the door. "Magnus? Are you in there?"

It took a moment, but the door slowly opened. Magnus wheeled out. He gave a small smile. Alec noticed how he looked. No makeup on. His hair seemed to be stuck in a mess. "Oh... hello Alexander." he called.

"Is everything alright?" he asked, going to take his hand. Magnus moved away from him, recoiling from the touch. Alec inhaled. Something was wrong. He knelt down. "Mags, what is it?"

"You know you shouldn't call me that. Your boyfriend might get jealous of me." Magnus said.

"Boyfriend. What... what boyfriend?" he asked him.

"Alexander, look. It's fine that you're dating someone. I honesty don't mind. If anything, I'm so happy that you are dating someone. I didn't think you could. He seems like a nice guy. I'm just mad that you lied to me."

"Magnus, I don't have a boyfriend. What are you talking about?"

"You don't have to lie. He's nice."

"Mags what? Who... describe him to me."

"Alexander I-"

"What does he look like?"

"Um... He has pink hair and the nicest-"

"Wait, wait, wait... pink hair you said?"

"Yeah. I-"

"Stay here."

What? What was Alec talking about? From the look on his face, he actually looked pretty scared. Why would he be? Did it have to do with him? With possibly losing him? He didn't want to give him a chance. He shouldn't. If he was dating someone, he should respect that. But then again... "Alexander, I'm not sure if-" Magnus tried.

"No. No, Magnus. No. This is just a big misunderstanding." Alec said. "Trust me. I am going to take care of it."

Magnus hummed. He looked down, rubbing in between his fingers. He nodded, letting his heart decide to give Alexander a chance. He wouldn't lie to him. This had to be some kind of misunderstanding. Alec turned over, rushing down the hall. Steam was coming out of his ears he was so angry as he looked to see who was around him. None of them had pink hair. He stormed down the hall, looking for Sergio. That motherfucker. How dare he? How dare he?! He has never dated anyone! He would never date anyone! The only one that he wanted to actually date was Magnus! Magnus was so kind and understanding. He gave him a second chance for God's sake. And here this person was, ruining it for him. Ruining the only thing he ever wanted.

Alec turned over and saw Sergio. Kneeling right in front of his bedroom door. He turned over, smiling. "Hello daddy." he said. Alec growled. He ran over to him, grabbing him by the neck and slamming him against the wall. Sergio hummed. "Oh! Choking are we? I love that."

"How fucking dare you?!" he growled. "How dare you lie to him?! Even look at him!"

"Lie to him? About what? What do I have to lie for? I didn't do anything."

"You know what you did you fucker!"

Sergio hummed. "Come on. Why are you so hung up on him? He doesn't deserve you. He doesn't even serve you. He's some bland mundane writer. You deserve someone to be your undying loving sub. He won't serve you like I serve you. Like I will serve you."

Alec scoffed. He dragged Sergio by the neck through the halls. Sergio was humming in arousal and laughing the entire time. But he started to see where he was going and noticing just exactly where Lightwood was heading. He raised his eyebrow and saw Alec bring him towards a big window. Alec let him go ans grabbed tighter from the back of his neck. Sergio eyes' widened, seeing what he was doing. "Wait... wait, wait, wait, wait, wait! Come on, Alec! Alec, Alec, Alec, wait come on!" he screamed.

"Do not call me by my name you son of a bitch." Alec sneered, slowly pressing his face against the glass window. The glass slowly cracked from the pressure.

"No, no, no, no, no! No, please! It was just a joke! I promise! You know I-I like to play around! I... I just... wait. Please just wait, please just wait a second! Please!" he cried.

Alec didn't listen to his pleas. He pulled his face off of the window before slamming him through the glass. Sergio screamed as Alec held him there. Making him look out at the ground he was going to impact. Alec pushed him up, turning him up so that they were looking at each water. The rain dripped down on his face, making his makeup drip down. "Listen here." he snaps, slowly pulled Sergio close. His lips hovered over his ear. "No one hurts or touches Magnus. Ever."

Alec threw him out of his grip. Sergio screamed, falling through the window and onto the ground to his death. Alec kissed his teeth, looking down at him. Seeing as his back hit the garden' cobblestone. He turned over, seeing someone standing there by him. Aeneas. He was still and completely pale. His hand moved up to point at the window. Alec just sneered. "Is he... is he-"

"Dead? He better be." Alec sneered. "Hope you heard what I said. You stay away from Magnus Aeneas." he snapped.

He nodded, quickly. "Yeah... yeah. I will." he said, bowing his head in respect.

"Get a group to get rid of that body." he said.

Aeneas nodded, sprinting away. Alec looked down at his hand. It was wet from the rain and some glass shards had pierced some of his skin. He hissed, slowly moving back to Magnus' room. Not caring about himself. He slowly knocked again on the door. Magnus opened it, a bit slowly then before. He looked over. "Alexander? What are you- oh my! What happened to your hand?!" he called.

"I'm sorry that Sergio said that stuff to you. I don't really know what he said, but I do know that he's been jealous of you and he's been pretty much obsessed with me. We had a one night stand and he-"

"Would you forget about him for like two seconds so that we can get this glass out of your skin!" Magnus said, pulling him inside.

Alec couldn't help but smile. He blushed. He was so caring. Magnus shoved him down onto his bed and helped him by slowly prying out the glass. "I'm sorry." he said to him. "About that."

"It's fine. I shouldn't have believed him anyways. He came off pretty strange anyways." Magnus said. "Who was he anyways?"

"He works for me. He usually seduces some people I need information from and he's very good with a knife. Well, he was very good."

"Was? What do you mean was?"

"He's gone now. He won't be bothering you and me."

"Did you kill him?"

Alec stayed silent. He rubbed his hand, looking at some of the glass still trapped in his skin. Magnus sighed. He probably should have expected that. That Alec had no problem killing someone that hurt him. But somehow, he wasn't bothered. It was actually kind of arousing. Arousing to him that Alec was willing to kill someone for him. He blushed, turning away. Alec looked up at him. He noticed the blush against his cheeks. He looked down and smiled faintly. "Thank you." Magnus said.

"Huh?" Alec called.

"Thank you for doing that. Getting rid of him."

"You're not mad?"

"No. Not really. I thought that it would bother me. But it doesn't. So, thanks. For doing that." Magnus said, smiling.

Alec blushed. Magnus surely was something else. "You're welcome." he said. "Can I ask you something though?"

"Of course?"

"Why did what he say bother you so much?"

"I um... well I uh... I don't... I..."

"Don't be embarrassed to tell me. I want to know."

"Well... I just... Alexander you've been so kind and nice to me. I really hated you at first, but you've changed for me. I guess that in that time, I've started to really like you. And see you in a way that's... that's strange to me." he said. "That's so much different than the way that I've seen anyone."

Alec sighed. He cupped Magnus' chin in his hands. "I... I..."

"Do you see me the same? Or was I truly getting my hopes up about you?"

"You weren't. I do like you."

"The same way?"

"More than." Alec said. Magnus smiled, his blush reaching his nose. Alec chuckled, taping his nose. "Can we still make the movie?"

Magnus smiled. "Go on. If you wheel me fast enough, we might be able to make it."


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [No Spoliers] 😊😊💖

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!  
> 🥳  
> HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME  
> 🥳  
> HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!  
> 🥳
> 
> Such a good mood! I'm in such a good mood compared to last week! It's my birthday, something big happens in this chapter, I finished chapter 50 and edited chapter 38! I am in a great, great mood today! My good mood is now radiated towards you all! Hope that you are as happy as I am!!
> 
> Hugs and kisses!!!
> 
> 🎈🥳🎂🎉🎁😊👸🏽

"Alec. I think that you missed a turn." Magnus called from his spot in the car. He turned away from the window, still keeping his fingers pressed up against the glass and looked over at Alec. Alec just smiled at him, making another turn. Getting off of the highway and into the street roads.

Alec grinned, seeing that confused look on his face. His nose continued to twitch adorably. "Trust me Magnus. I know what I am doing." he said to him.

Magnus blushed, shoving his index finger into his mouth and letting his teeth rest atop of the skin. Their day had been a bit strange. Magnus couldn't help but smile, thinking about the way that Alec had reacted to Sergio. One might be mad and upset about the fact that a boyfriend or girlfriend killed someone else. But he has been around so many people in this life and has been around cabal rules and regulations that it wasn't shocking anymore. So many things happened in such a short amount of time that it was no longer shocking to him anymore. Alec might be just so dark and devious towards others, but it wasn't surprising to him anymore. It wasn't so... shocking. It was probably because the work he was in and the way that he was raised that affected the way he reacted.

It was just protective. From what Magnus felt, it was actually kind of adorable. The way that Alec didn't really have much else to do and all he knew was his devious nature. Alec was just protective of him. He really cared about how he felt. And he wasn't just going to let anybody hurt Magnus. Physically or emotionally. Magnus grinned, turning back over to him. Slowly, he moved his hand over and rested it on top of Alec's. Alec's eyes widened, turning over to him. Magnus gave him a smile. "Is this okay?" he whispered. "I'm sorry if it-"

Alec just smiled as he begun to ramble. He moved one hand off of the wheel and intertwined their fingers together. He moved his head over, eyes still kept on the road, and pressed a kiss to the side of Magnus' hand. Magnus was silence, his cheeks turning coral. "This is okay Magnus." he said to him. "It's more than okay."

Magnus smiled. Alec pulled the car over towards a curb. He pulled the car into park, turning over towards Magnus. Magnus raised his eyebrow. "Where are we?"

"CVS." Alec stated, unfazed. His smile the exact same.

"Why?"

"Movie theater snacks are a scam. From any theater. So why not invade a pharmacy and get our own snacks?"

Magnus smiled. "You sound like a friend of mine. He would always sneak little snacks inside of movies."

"Is this fine?"

"It's alright Alexander. Really. I think that it will be super fun to and see the kind of snacks that you like." he said. "They'll say things about you."

"Things about me?" Alec asked, stepping out of the car. Slowly, they walked over towards the passenger side door. He opened Magnus' wheelchair and helped him down onto it.

"Why yes." Magnus said, taking his hand as they slowly moved down against the seat. He moved over to get comfortable, giving Alec a nod.

"That's not a thing." Alec told him, slowly wheeling him inside. "It's snacks."

Magnus chuckled at his dismissal of it. "What? They're not just snacks. They say things about people." he said to him, turning over and waving at one of the workers there respectfully. "It's true."

"Oh really?" Alec said to him with a smile. "Fine then. I will go and get my snacks and then you will tell me just exactly what they mean for me. Cool?"

Magnus grinned from ear to ear, clapping his hands together in excitement. This seemed like it would be pretty fun. Alec wheeled him down from the hair care products and towards the extensive snack aisles. Magnus watched him intently, staring as Alec walked through the aisles. Searching for something specific. Alec picked up a small bag of Jolly Ranchers and a box of plain black licorice. He turned over to him, looking at Magnus. As if waiting for some kind of answer. Magnus eyed his snack. He snickered. "Is that all?"

"Yes, this is all. Are you judging me Magnus Bane?" he asked. Magnus snickered again. "You are judging me!"

"Judging is a harsh word." Magnus stated.

"But it is what you are doing now, how is that harsh?" Alec asked, laughing. "You know what, actually. I am not done since you want to judge my snack choices."

"Sure pal." Magnus said, wheeling over to follow him. Alec walked over to the fridges right in the back of the store and picked out two bottles of cream soda. Magnus raised his eyebrow. "Cream soda. One good choice out of three. Grab me one Alexander?"

Alec nodded, picking another one out and handing it to him. "So, I think that you owe me and explanation about my snacks."

"With pleasure Alexander." he said. "From your obvious choice in colored licorice, you have no experience with other tastes. You like things to be simple. Black licorice is classic and simple, no matter how gross it is on my part. And I am to assume that along with the black as night licorice, you like your coffee black with one or no sugar. How boring of you. Now, your Jolly Ranchers actually tells the most about you. You like to spice it up here and there. Which is why you eat them. But you actually don't like the good flavors. Which is why you only got a bag of reds instead of the classic rainbow bag. They all taste a bit similar, so it is not too far out of your comfort zone. Just like how you don't stray away from what you know but will still do something new here and now." Magnus smiled wide when he was done. "How'd I do?"

Alec looked down at him, his eyes widened. "How could you guess all of that so easily? With snacks?"

"Well, I know you now that I have been in your large house for a bit. And you're not a hard case to crack anymore." Magnus said. "Oh. And cream soda because it looks the most similar to a beer or cider. And that's what you really want to drink."

Alec looked down at his drink. "You're pretty good at this." he said. "And for the record, fruit punch is the best flavor of Jolly Rancher."

"Sure Alexander. Because it tastes so similar to any other fruit punch flavored hard candy." Magnus said.

The two fell into a small fit of laughter. It was such a stupid thing for them to laugh about. But they were starting to slowly be comfortable around each other. They slowly stopped their joint chuckling. Alec looked over at Magnus. "What are you going to get?"

"Alexander, I have no-"

"If you are going to tell me that you don't have money, I am quite aware of that. I am in the process of getting you your bank card back. I will be paying for these."

"Oh! No, no, no, no Alexander. I don't want you to-"

"Magnus it is not a big deal."

"Yes it is! It's money! You work hard for your money."

"Magnus. It is not a big deal."

"Can I pay you back at least?"

"No."

"Alexander!"

"Mags, I am going to pay. It's snacks. You're not gonna burn a whole in my account."

Magnus bit his lip, still feeling bad. "CVS' are kind of expensive. You get three things and it's suddenly like thirty dollars. And what if I wanted something or some items that ended up being too expensive?"

"Your point is? I will buy you what you want." Alec said to him. "Like I said again, it is snacks. It's not a gigantic deal."

Magnus rubbed his lips together, sighing in defeat. They would be like this for hours knowing how Alec was. He wheeled the chair back towards some of the nuts. He picked up a small bag of salted sunflower seeds. He rubbed the bag, making sure that none of them were too dried out or rotten. He set it back and picked up another one. He turned over to Alec, who was just standing there and smiling at him. "What's the smile for?" he said.

"I don't know. You just look really adorable like that." he said.

"Like what?" Magnus said. "All I'm doing is picking out a snack."

"I know. But you just look really cute when you are focused." Alec said to him, moving over and rubbing his finger against the chair's handlebar. "Is that all?"

"I think so." Magnus said, picking up a small bag of peppermint patties. He grinned at Alec as he took a hold of the handlebar and slowly moved them out of the aisle when Magnus nodded that he was fine. Alec paid at the till, handing Magnus the paper bag. Slowly the two of them wheeled back out of the store. Magnus turned over when they made it outside, noticing something there on the cobblestone ground. He picked up the small dandelion growing there. It was bigger than the other buds. Shining in beautiful yellow in the gloomy winter blues. He turned over to Alec and handed it to him. "For you." he said to him.

Alec smiled, seeing the small flower."Thanks." he said. "Where should I do?"

Magnus beckoned him over towards the front of his chair. He pushed him lightly by the shoulder. Alec slowly moved down on to one knee. Magnus light bent the stem of the flower and moved it into the lapel of Alec's blazer. "There." he said. "I know that it's kind of small-"

"No, no, no." Alec said to him, pressing a light finger against the petal. "I love it. I'll be sure to get you some flowers the next time we have a date, huh?"

"You don't have to do that Alexander." he said as the car door opened.

Alec lightly pulled Magnus up into his arms. Magnus chuckled, leaning into the hold. "Course I do. You know why?"

"Why Alexander?"

"Because I want to."

Magnus chuckled as Alec set him down. "And you just do what you want when you want?"

"Why yes." he said, brushing his hand against Magnus' cheek. "I do what I want. When I want. And not only that, but I always get what I want."

"Would that pertain to me?"

"I don't see any other beautiful man here."

The two chuckled again. It was really strange. They just kept chuckling at each other. It was probably all of the nerves that they felt being here with each other. Telling how people felt was pretty strange. But they really loved this feeling. The two of them just stared at each other for a short while before they moved away from the store.

* * *

Alec slowly wheeled Magnus inside of the movie theater. He had been here so many times but there was nothing at all that made him used to it. It was so retro. The beautiful carpet and the move posters posted. Alec had never been here. But it was wonderful. The atmosphere was so comforting. Breathtaking every time you entered. He would have to remember that the next time he would want to see a movie with Jace or Izzy. Magnus turned over to Alec, seeing the look in his eyes. "Do you like the Kent?" he asked him.

"It's nice out here." he said. "I'll have to come here again with some friends. Get a couple beers."

"I don't think they sell beers here." Magnus said to him.

Alec quirked up his eyebrow. "We just bought snacks and smuggled them in through your wheelchair. What are you talking about no beer?"

Magnus chuckled. "So." he called as the wheeled towards one of the small auditoriums. "What movie are we going to see? I don't really know of most of the movies that are out right now. And from what I do know, none of them look interesting to me."

"It's not anything that is out right now." he said to him, wheeling him inside. Magnus raised his eyebrows. "Trust me though. You'll like it."

Magnus still kept his eyebrows raised as Alec picked him up and moved him into a seat. "Is it like an old black and white movie that you're showing me?" he asked. "And where is everybody else?"

"Who else needs to be here other than you and I?" Alec asked him.

Magnus pouted. "Did you buy out this place just for me?"

"No." Alec said. "No. What's the point of that when you and I could have just watched it inside of the manor? No, I just bought the film they'll be showing."

Magnus raised his eyebrow again as he was set down. He turned over and saw people slowly start to pile inside of the theater as the lights dimmed. He was even more confused now. But as he turned over towards the screen, he understood why. He turned back to him as he heard the familiar music. "Did you pay the theater to play _The Hunchback of Notre Dame_? Just for me?"

"Every other movie out either sucks or is too sad for a date. You said that you really like this film. And I've never seen it. So I thought that it would be fun." he said.

Magnus smiled. He moved over and pressed a kiss against his cheek. Alec's eyes widened, his back stiffened and his face turned red. "Thank you." he said. "You're going to love it."

Alec smiled. "I know I will." he said.

_Because you like it so much._

* * *

Alec wasn't going to lie, there was something about Magnus leaning against him as they watched the movie. He was happy and his chest was full of comfort. There was a smile on his face the entire time the movie played out. But when he wasn't looking at the screen, he saw Magnus' happy reactions. It was cute the way that he was humming along to the songs and mouthing the lines that he loved once. It was adorable. Alec couldn't even focus on _The Hunchback of Notre Dame_. Magnus was just too beautiful. The movie was good for the first twenty minutes, but his eyes continued to wander down over to Magnus Bane. Alec loved being here. Especially with him. It was something different than anyone else he had ever been with. They just were ready for a good fuck. Just like Sergio, he just wanted to be with Alec for the sex and for the money. But being with Magnus? Magnus himself? Not him. He just wanted to be with him. He enjoyed spending time with Alec. Not Lightwood. He wanted to be with Magnus just as much as he wanted to be with him. He could see that.

Magnus raised his head, looking up at him. He immediately stilled, but he gripped Magnus a bit tighter. "Do you like the movie?" Magnus asked.

"It's nice. Surprised that I've never seen it before." Alec said.

"I'm going to take a guess and say that you've never seen a lot of movies that everyone has seen."

"I've seen movies."

"Like?"

"...A few..."

"Have you seen the movies I said to you before?"

"...Well-"

"I'll take that as a no."

"Just because you're a snack physic doesn't mean you know everything kitten."

"Kind of does Alexander. Well, then I guess that that is my mission. To show you movies that you have never seen before." Magnus said with a wide smile, patting his chest lightly.

Alec smiled."Well this movie is pretty good."

"I'm glad you like it. It's nice. And it's should speak to you."

"How so?"

"Who makes a monster and who makes a man? You're no monster. Not to me."

Alec slowly smiled. He couldn't take it anymore. He slowly moved closer towards him. As the movies ending song played through, their lips were like magnets. Getting closer and closer together. Magnus bit his lip, blushing. Did he want this?

Yes. Yes he did.

He slowly moved closer to Alec, sitting up so that he was a couple of inches taller. He met Alec halfway and slowly, their lips pressed together.


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec and Magnus have finally kissed...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First and foremost, thank you all so so much for the birthday wishes! It warmed my heart. I couldn't go to school or go out to eat like I usually do on my birthday. But seeing your comments and just being with my family made it the best. Me (and my sis) send you thanks! 😊🤗💕
> 
> Enjoy the chapter my loves!

Kissing Magnus was everything that Alec had imagined and more. His lips were soft and plump and tender. Like he was kissing a cloud. And the fact that Magnus Bane was kissing him back was even more amazing. No one that he had ever kissed before made him felt like this. None of those kisses had been liked this one. Those kisses were quick, desperate and begging. This one was calm, loving and wanting. He gripped him by the shoulders a bit tighter, pressing him closer. Magnus' gentle hand moved up and touched his cheek. His thumb gently rubbed against his scar. Was this even real? Could a kiss like this be as wonderful as it actually was? It seemed impossible. But Magnus made the impossible possible.

Magnus had dreamed of his first kiss with someone special for years. Sure he had been kissed before. But he had never loved someone or had such a yearn for them that made their kiss wonderful. It was more often that not sloppy and strange and uncomfortable. But Alec's kiss... it was beautiful. He kissed his lips to Magnus' gently. Not fast, not forcefully, not a quick peck. It was to show him that he was there. To show him that he actually really cared about him. To share his feelings. And Magnus loved it. Alec had made him blush before, but this took the cake.

The two slowly pulled away as the credits begun to roll, taking in a breath that they have been missing. Magnus' entire face was flushed red. His lips were pink and pursed out a bit from the kiss and his lip gloss was gone. The glitter from it was smeared against Alec's own lips. But he couldn't find himself to even care. His lips just curved into a smile. They had just kissed. They had just kissed. He and Magnus Bane... just kissed.

Magnus was still holding onto his cheek, rubbing his cheekbone. Looking up at him and staring into his hazel eyes. Admiring the color and the glint. Reading the emotions that radiated in response to his stare. The two of them were trapped in their own little world. And none of them found a care to really stop. Alec smiled. "I've wanted to do that for weeks now."

"Me too." Magnus said. "That was quite magical."

"It was for me too." Alec said back, letting out a happy chuckle. 

Magnus chuckled as well. "Wow." he said.

"Wow." he said back.

Magnus blushed, covering his mouth with his hand. The two stayed there, chuckling at each other for quite some time. Allowing everyone else to leave the two alone and have their moment in the sun. Alec slowly pulled Magnus up into his arms. Magnus instantly wrapped his arm around his neck, leaning into the comforting and protective warmth that Alec gave off to him. He pulled our of the aisle and placed Magnus down into his wheelchair. He held the handle with one hand and then he took Magnus' shoulder in the other. The touch was enough to bring a shiver to the young man.

He bit his lip, blushing again as they made their way to Alec's car. They drove with nothing but happy chuckles against them. No words at all needed to be exchanged. Alec couldn't stop looking over at Magnus, eyeing his beauty. Even though he should be focusing on the road. Magnus kept looking up at Alec in the same boat, blushing at the way his entire pale face turned bright red by just looking at him.

The drive back was an hour, but it seemed so much shorter for them then their way over. Alec moved into the garage, smiling over at Magnus. He unbuckled himself before moving over to Magnus. He moved to pick up the wheelchair first. But Magnus gripped his arm. "You know, you can just carry me... if you, if you want."

Alec smiled. He picked him up bridal style, walking out of the garage and into his manor. Magnus held onto his neck, looking up at him. Alec was so beautiful. There was nothing at all that could be wrong with him. He was so kind. But this life had changed him. Magnus saw something in him. At first, he hated him and wanted nothing more than to just get free of him. But now, everything was different. Alec proved to be way more than just an evil mob leader. He was gentle and actually caring towards Magnus. Magnus couldn't help but wonder if this was their first instance of romance, what would Alec's gestures be now that they knew that they liked each other.

Alec stepped down the hall, making his way to Magnus' bedroom. He slowly kicked the door open. Magnus chuckled, seeing how Alec barely put any effort into. Oh, he was strong! Alec walked over to his bed, setting him down against the mattress. Magnus smiled, blushing at how close Alec was to him. He thought that he might kiss him again. He wasn't opposed to it. At all. Alec smiled, moving over and pressing his hand gently against his cheek. He slowly stood up, moving over and picking up his makeup wipes. "Here." he said.

"Thank you." Magnus said, taking them and holding them in his hands. "Alexander."

"Yes?"

"So... I think that I can assume now that you like me a lot."

"I do." he replied. "I've never cared for someone like I've cared for you."

Magnus blushed again. "You sure know how to make a man feel special."

Alec smiled. He moved his hand back to his cheek, continuing to caress it gently He grinned, admiring the adorable blush against his cheeks. "I like the way you blush."

"I didn't even know you could see me blush. I thought you were just looking at the makeup."

"No. That's you. You're blushing. And it's cute."

Magnus' cheeks got hotter. Alec chuckled. He was adorable. Magnus slowly removed his makeup, smiling up at Alec. Alec leaned against the wall, watching him. Magnus threw away the wipe and looked up at him. He could feel his cheeks start to cry out in pain from how much he was smiling around him. He moved some hair out of his eyes. Alec pried himself off of the wall and sat down next to Magnus. He slowly moved over, his hand lingering over Magnus'. "Can I..." he called. "Is it okay if I... um..."

"Are you asking me if you can hold my hand?" Magnus asked with a chuckle. Alec frowned. "Don't be embarrassed. It's okay. You can if you really want to."

Alec smiled. He moved his hand up and intertwined their fingers together. Magnus' hand was so much smaller than Alec's. His hand was huge. He expected that it would be rough and callused from his use of weapons and knives. But it wasn't. Apart from feeling the scars resting from before, his skin was soft. Softer than any other hand he's held from before. Magnus smiled, rubbing Alec's knuckle. Alec coughed out a chuckle. "Is this what it's supposed to feel like? To hold someone's hand?"

"What does it feel like?" Magnus asked.

"Like... just... fireworks. Like it's not even real." Alec explained.

"It's real Alexander. It's very real." Magnus reassured, looking up at him with a gentle. "And I feel the same. Don't worry."

Alec rested his other hand on his thigh, bringing their hands up so that he could press a tender kiss against it. It was sweet. It left a tingly sensation all around Magnus' skin. Magnus loved that feeling. He hoped that he could earn way more of this feeling from Alec. Alec moved over, reaching towards his lips. "I...I wanna kiss you again." Alec said to him. "Is that alright? With you?"

Magnus smiled once again. "I'd like that very much Alexander."

Alec nodded, he slowly moved closer. Their lips were so close. Finally, Magnus filled in the gap as they pressed their lips together. Magnus smiled into the kiss as the fireworks started again. It wasn't just in his hand. It was amazing. Alec gripped his hand tighter. He didn't want to let him go. His lips were so small and they fit so perfectly against his own. It was wonderful kissing Magnus. He tasted sweet. Like a candy that no one has ever had before. Magnus moved his other hand over, holding him by the small curve in the neck.

It was heaven.

Absolute heaven.

The two pulled away from each other, looking up at each other. Taking in deep breaths that they needed. Alec's eyes seemed to be sparkling. It was almost like complete lust and ecstasy in his eyes. Not only that, but there was something else in his eyes. Protection. Admiration. Magnus smiled. "Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked him.

"Like what?" Alec asked.

"They I am the most gorgeous man in the world. And that you want to protect me."

"Because that's exactly what I want to do. I really care about you Magnus."

"I care about you too."

Alec smiled. "I should... I should probably leave you here for the night. To you know... sleep."

Magnus frowned, chuckling though at his strange attempt of a joke. He didn't really want Alec to leave. But he understood. And besides. They were technically living together. He would see him soon. He put a smile back on his face. "Alright then. How about we just meet up for breakfast tomorrow?"

"I would enjoy that." Alec responded, moving over and pressing a quick kiss against his lips.

"I'll cook."

"No you won't. I will. Sleep well kitten."

Alec slowly raised up from the bed. He slowly moved over to the door. But not before his eyes wandered over to Magnus. He smiled, turning over and leaving the room. As soon as the door closed, Magnus' fingers lingered over the lips were Alec's just were. It was amazing. Everything seemed so wonderful right now.

* * *

Jonathan exhaled, stepping out of the car. It was raining hard and the drive was longer than he had been told. He was already annoyed having to be here so late. But not only that, but Magnus was still on his mind. He was the only person on his mind for weeks. He wanted him home more than anything. He wanted him safe and protected in his arms. Not in the hands of Alec Lightwood. He moved over, seeing his father, guards and Asmodeus step out with him. Asmodeus held an umbrella, looking out at the surroundings in front of him. The look on his face was just as frustrated as Jonathan's was. If anything, he seemed also a bit worried. But the six of them didn't see anyone out there in the shadows of the dark alleyway.

On the roof above them. Raphael stayed still, looking down from above him. The rain was getting him all damp. It felt like his hoodie was now stuck against his skin. But he stayed still, looking down at the group. Focusing on what was happening. Waiting for someone to come out. Waiting for the information to pile in.

Valentine turned over to Asmodeus, holding his own umbrella. "What are we doing here?" he snapped.

"I understand your frustration Morgenstern. But if you would please stay calm. My contact should be here soon." he explained to him.

"What does your contact have to do with Lightwood and Magnus?" Jonathan asked.

 _I'm thinking the same thing,_ Raphael thought, biting his lip to keep his quip to himself. He adjusted the wet hood of his sweater, trying to keep his eyes clear of anything so he could listen in and watch.

Asmodeus sighed. "Lightwood is on your mind Morgensterns. That I get. But remember that I have my ways of things, just like you. I have a way for me and grab a hold of my son and, for you, Lightwood."

"How?" Jonathan asked, a bit too excitedly.

 _Yes_ , Raphael thought. _How will this person get a hold of him? And more than not, why the hell wasn't I told about it? If I'm your right hand?_

Asmdoeus didn't answer the question asked. He turned over, seeing a car slowly move towards them. Asmodeus smiled, walking towards the vehicle. Jonathan and Raphael both raised their eyebrow in the same confused state. The man turned over to the group. "Valentine. Jonathan. Please meet a good contact of mine. Azazel."

The man stepped outside of the car, waving at them. Not caring that he was in the rain. "Hello gentleman."

"And who exactly are you?" asked one of the bodyguards.

Asmodeus turned over to Azazel. He chuckled. "Azazel is one of my best hit-men. And not only that, but he is a trained kidnapper." he said.

"How the hell do you train to be a kidnapper?" Jonathan asked.

"That's just the life we live." Azazel stated with a smile. "Asmodeus. It is very nice to see you again."

"It's nice to see you as well." Asmodeus said.

"What does your special skills do for me in regards to our little Lightwood problem?" Valentine asked.

"Not to worry. Asmodeus has informed me about your situation and your objectives. That you want to get rid of him. Lightwood. " Azazel said.

Raphael looked down. _Get rid of him?_ , he thought and mouthed. _What the fuck?_

"That I do." Valentine said.

"I am here to help with that problem. You see, I might be considered a kidnapper. But my skills are most valuable for other situations. I can use my skills for a rescue mission in police and military matters. And we all know who to rescue. Magnus Bane. And, once he is safe, I can use my hit man skills on Lightwood."

"No!" Jonathan yelled. "Don't kill him."

Azazel raised his eyebrows.

"What you mean?" Asmodeus asked.

"He deserves to be punished for taking Magnus. For kidnapping him. I want him to pay! He is going to pay!"

Valentine smiled. "Yes." he said in agreement. "Lightwood deserves to be taught lesson for the idiocy he used by kidnapping a son of Bane. We would much rather kill him ourselves."

Asmodeus hummed. "How's kidnapping him instead?" he said to Azazel.

"I can at least be able to subdue him for a bit. I can drive off with Magnus while you go take care of Lightwood. I can send you all the information once the job is done and your son is safe." Azazel explains.

"Would this be different from my plan?" Valentine asked.

 _What is your plan?_ , Raphael thought to himself, wiping more water away from his eyes.

"It would. As your plan needs Lightwood in order for it to work." Azazel said. "Does it matter how to get him to get your throne?"

_Your throne? What are you hiding Morgenstern?_

Valentine inhaled. "Well if you are going to bring him in, then can you at least break his legs?" he said.

"And you won't hurt Magnus right?" Jonathan asked. "He'll be safe when you find him? Right?"

"Absolutely." Azazel said to him. "Asmodeus has already informed me that no harm should come to him and that he should be kept protected during the entire situation."

Jonathan nodded. Raphael moved back from the roof, sensing that someone might turn over to face him. He didn't trust this. Not at all. He could not let this happen. Something terrible would happen to Magnus if he allowed this man to kidnap him. He would be way worse off injury wise. He could sense it. Raphael slowly moved off of the roof. He needed to get back to Lightwood Manor. He needed to help him and keep Magnus safe.

Valentine hummed. "I must say, this is a smart plan of yours." he said.

"Thank you." Asmodeus said.

Azazel nodded at the three. "I shall take my leave. I'll call you when the job is done." he said. "And Asmodeus. A couple mercenaries is all I need."

"Got it." he said to him. Azazel moved inside of the car, driving off just as fast as he arrived. Asmodeus rolled up his sleeves while adjusting his umbrella. "Sooner than we think, Lightwood will be in our grasps. And everything that we hope for will become a reality."

Jonathan nodded. "I thought I was supposed to be the one saving him." he muttered under his breath like a child that couldn't go first for a ball game.

"You will." Asmodeus said. "You will be going with Azazel. He will find my son and you will take him away from this. Understood?"

Jonathan nodded. "I will."

 _Finally, I'll find him_ , he thought.

"Good." Valentine and Asmodeus said together.

"Now come on, let us get out of the rain." Valentine said. "I have an empire to prepare to run."


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus and Alec know that they like each other. So Alec wants to take him out on a date. Like... a real date. If only he wasn't such a dork.
> 
> Raphael needs to get to Lightwood Manor and warn Magnus... and unfortunately Alec. Clary refuses to let him go alone.

"Izzy, this isn't necessary."

"Yes it is, now hush!"

He huffed, allowing his little sister to adjust his blazer. She was a fashion freak. He was very lucky that she was willing to put down everything to help him look decent for his breakfast with Magnus. It didn't feel that way sometimes. Like now. It was just a crease in the lapel.

Alec sighed. His cheeks were getting hot in anticipation as to what was going to happen this morning. The kiss that he had shared with Magnus was... amazing. He stayed up a bit in the night afterwards, looking up at ceiling and thinking about their two kisses. It was so special. So beautiful. No one was as great a kisser than Magnus Bane. Alec was anxious for his breakfast with him. He didn't want to ruin what he had just started with him. It was so special between the two of them and he would do anything to keep their connection going.

Izzy smoothed out his blazer, smiling at the flower that she had placed there. He looked down at it. It was a gerbera daisy. He didn't know how she got the flower, considering that it was New York winter and that he didn't care for the garden like he should. But it was beautiful none the less. And it was orange. A color that he thought Magnus looked beautiful in. He huffed once more, this time smiling, and holding out his arms. He twisted his arm to the side, trying to see if anything was one his elbow. "Kay. Do I look okay?"

Izzy eyed her brothers clothes. It was still all black, so no difference there. He might have worn the same ensemble yesterday. But she knew that her brother was anxious enough about meeting Magnus in the first place. So she just decided to leave it be. She clapped her hands together and smiled. "You look very, very handsome big brother." she said.

"I always look handsome." Alec said jokingly. "Thank you though for helping me."

"My OCD wasn't going to let you see your boo with a wrinkled lapel. Not a problem big brother." she said. "Now, go! Go, go, go, your man is in there."

"He's not my man... at least not yet anyways." 

"Aww!"

"Isabelle!"

"What? I can't get excited about my brother showing one ounce of romantic interest in someone. Trust me, this is exciting."

"You don't see me stomping in my boots and crying bloody murder over that nerd you're seeing."

"I'm not-" Izzy stilled. "Wait, what?"

"What? You think that I don't know these things? I'm more than aware about Simon." Alec said. Izzy blushed. Alec sighed, patting her shoulder. "He better be nice."

"He is. He's very sweet." she said. "But wait! Backtrack... how did you-"

"Your bedroom is right next to mine. And you stay up late talking to him when I'm not sleeping. Put two and two together sweet baby sister." he said with a smile, pressing a kiss to her temple.

Izzy smiled. "Okay, okay, okay. Enough about me, this is your morning. Now go off and get to your Magnus."

Alec sighed and nodded. "If you bring that Simon here, I get an hour with him."

"What! No!"

"Yes!"

"Alec!"

"I could break his ankle like Magnus' instead!"

"..."

"Exactly!"

"Shut up!"

* * *

Magnus tapped onto the armrests of his wheelchair. He was quite nervous to see Alec. He hoped that their shared night together would be have the same exact atmosphere now that they were here at breakfast. He didn't bother to touch anything, even though the spread was impressive looking and delicious smelling. He wanted to wait for Alec to come over. He really wanted to see him again. There were butterflies in his belly the entire night. And now it felt like they were in his chest and they were fluttering along with his hammering heartbeat.

Magnus unconsciously jolted as he heard the door opening. He jumped a bit in his chair. He wheeled around towards the door and saw Alec walking inside. He smiled, seeing his face once again. That smile once again. Magnus blushed. In that moment, he felt like he could melt like ice cream. "Alexander." he called.

Alec smiled. "Magnus." he said back, walking over to him. "I'm sorry that I am so late."

"That's alright." Magnus said back, knowing that his cheeks were getting so pink with him there. "It's only been like... I dunno, like... five minutes? Ten?"

"Still." Alec said, going down on one knee. He smiled, looking over at Magnus. He was dressed to perfection. Bright yellow shirt. Silver jewelry. Silver makeup on his face. Perfection. He moved over, going to take his hand. "Is it alright if I take it?"

"Oh! Of course, of course." he said.

Alec nodded. He took his hand and looked at the rings rested against it. He smiled, pressing a kiss against the knuckles. He looked more down, seeing Magnus' wrapped up ankle. "How does your ankle feel today?"

"It feels alright. Cat's been telling me that it's been healing up quite nicely. We're on schedule for this baby." Magnus explained. "Sooner or later, I can get rid of the wheelchair and slowly start walking on my own."

"Well that's good. I gotta say though, I'm going to miss carrying you everywhere." Alec said.

"You still can. There's no problem with that." Magnus said with a smile, looking at their conjoined hands. Alec had to clear his throat, blushing at the open ended comment. "Shall we... shall we eat?"

"Oh. Yeah." Alec said, nodding a bit too rigorously. He still held onto Magnus' hand as he wheeled him down over towards the table. He sat Magnus' down right next to his own chair. Right at the head of the the table. Magnus looked over at the spread, smiling widely at how amazing and grand Alec had gone for him.

"This all looks delicious." Magnus said.

"Thank you. Hard work pays off I suppose."

"Wait... you made this all yourself?"

Alex shrugged. "Sort of."

"Sort of? What do you mean? How did you get all of this prepared?"

"My mom helped me."

"I must send her a thank you card then."

Alec nodded. He slowly started to place some fruit on Magnus' plate. Magnus chuckled. It was a small yet adorable gesture. And he loved it. Alec set down the fruit and reached for another filled plate. "Bacon or sasuage?"

"Both actually." Magnus said.

Alec nodded, placing the meats down onto his plate as well. "So uh... Magnus. I really wanted to talk to you about last night." he said.

"Oh. Well, go on then Alexander." Magnus said.

"Last night was amazing for me. It was really nice to know that you felt the same way about me. But since I feel something for you, I need to start whatever this is... with an apology."

"An apology? What have you done that you need to apologize to me for?"

"I almost choked you to death, remember? You opened your eyes when I told you not to and I lost it. You didn't deserve that and I'm sorry that I did that. I know that this is pretty late for me to ask, but are you alright?"

"I think that I am still able to breath, so yes Alexander. I am quite alright."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I forgive you."

Alex looked up. "How?"

"You didn't mean it. And that wasn't you. That wasn't the Alec that I know and care for. So really, it's okay Alexander." Magnus stated.

Alec couldn't help but grin. He surely had a magical way with words. "And it's not just that Magnus. Really, this whole situation isn't the best. I really wish none of this had happened. If I could,, I would cut out the middle man, that way I would able to meet you somewhere else. Somewhere romantic. Somewhere that you probably have dreamt of when you write. Like a coffee shop or some shit. Kidnapping and threatening isn't very ideal to start a relationship with someone." Alec said, rubbing his glass of orange juice.

"Well in this case... you're not like everyone else. And apparently according to my father and you, I am not as normal as I thought that I was. I didn't expect for the way that I felt about you to be normal. Nor did I expect our first kiss too." Magnus said to him, rubbing Alec's knuckles in comfort. "We are both pretty far from normal. But we can make it work. Relationships take effort. Even the... mafia ones I guess."

Alex blushed. There Magnus goes again, using his talent of knowing how to scramble words together and make them sound beautiful. "I know this is probably going to sound cliche and cringy and like I'm looking for some kind of pity for you, but I am a horrible person. And I don't deserve someone as kind and loving as you." Alec said.

"That was cliche. I hated every second of that." Magnus said with a small laugh. But he just shrugged. "It's fine Alexander. No one is perfect. And, you haven't given me the opportunity to get to know you better. That is my choice if I wanna continue this. And I do.. I would like to get to know _you_ Alexander. The real you. The one that likes to read and the one that cares about his family. And the one that cares about me."

Alec smiled. He sipped his juice before turning his full body over towards Magnus. "You surely have a way with words."

"I try Alexander. I try." Magnus responded.

Alec pulled his hand up, pressing their conjoined fingers against his cheek. He smiled at him, rubbing Magnus' knuckles with his skin. "I really do like you Magnus. I would really like to get to know you better. And I would like to show you the real me, if you'll have me."

"I'd like that." Magnus said. 

"And, if you'd allow me... am I permitted to take you out on a date?"

"One different than the movie?"

"Yeah. Something really... mundane?"

"Mundane?"

"Yeah. You know, like everyday civilians do. Like... dinner or something."

"If dinner was mundane, then so was the movie."

"That was different, that film meant something to you. And I enjoyed the movie. I don't like most films."

"So optimistic!"

"Why thank you." Alec said, puffing his chest up in mock pride.

Magnus chuckled. Wow, Alec was quite a dork on the inside in comparison to his dark and evil persona. He was looking forward to getting to know him better. "I'd love to do dinner."

* * *

Simon was worried a lot about this brunch. He didn't usually do this kind of thing. Firstly because all of a sudden brunch became early bird special and the word itself gave him need hebegebees. But Izzy said that she enjoyed doing it from time to time. And so he would do what made her happy. She really seemed to enjoy the sushi and trivia date. And now it was time for something a bit more simple. A bit more her. Especially now that he would be asking her if she wanted to be his girlfriend. Like, officially. He looked up from his stare off with the mimosa glass, seeing Izzy enter. He smiled. She looked so beautiful. She always looked beautiful. There was just something about the way that she presented herself. So confident.

Simon's pale cheeks turned as rosy as a child's. It baffled him how someone as gorgeous as her would want to be with a dork like him. Even though he didn't even like the term, he knew it was true. Izzy pulled off her purse smiling at Simon. "Hey." she called, pressing a kiss against his cheek.

His cheeks were now stop sign red. "Hi... hey, hey Izzy. Isabelle. Darling. I um..."

Izzy just chuckled. In their span of dates and texting, she found his nervous rambling the most adorable. "You're very chattery today. What's bugging you?" she asked. "And by the way, nice place."

"Oh. Thanks. Uh... my-my friend Clary reccomended this place. She likes brunch and they have a variety of cocktails for early risers." he said.

"Clary sounds like my kinda girl." Izzy said.

 _Yeah, too bad that she's being "protected" by her psycho father and her probably equally as psycho older brother_ , Simon couldn't help but think. "And I'm not nervous!"

"I never said that you were." Izzy said to him, quirking up her eyebrow. "Now I know that you are."

Simon sighed. "Sorry. I just... I wanted to ask you something important today."

"Oh... alright. Go ahead."

"I really want you to be my girlfriend. Like offically. I mean, you're so pretty and intelligent and kind to me. I really just want you to be by my side. I've never had a real girlfriend since high school. I dated this girl once before a year or two back but I don't think that I have ever felt something real. But what I feel for you Isabelle, it's more than my heart has felt towards any other girl before... i-if that makes sense."

Izzy frowned, looking down. She really liked Simon. She did! And their relationship has been pretty short up until this point. She thought that she had some time. More time. But she didn't. Everything that Simon just said had come from the heart. He really cares for her. And she does too. She liked Simon more than she really knew.. Simon noticed her frown and his shoulders slumped. Of course everything would go south. She looked up and took his hands.

"Simon." she called. "Listen. I'm not rejecting you. I really, really, really like you too!"

"You do?"

"Yes!"

Simon grinned. "Then... then what's with the long face? Is something the matter?"

Izzy sighed. "If we are going to really date, then I have to be honest with you."

"There's nothing that's going to really scare me away. Okay?" he said, taking both of her hands and rubbing his thumb against her rings. "Tell me."

Izzy inhaled. "Okay... my full name is Isabelle Lightwood."

* * *

Clary had been faking sick ever since she had spoken to Raphael. She didn't want anyone inside of the room. She couldn't have any of her father's men here. Or her brother.. Not until Raphael returned from wherever the hell he had went to. She tapped her foot against her ottoman. She hoped that nothing bad happened to him, that he hadn't gotten caught. She turned over, hearing a light knock. She moved over, diving into bed like a swimmer coughing loudly. "Don't come in!" she called. "I'm not feeling very well."

"It's just me _roja_."

Clary sighed in relief. She pulled away the overs and pulled the door open. Raphael moved inside of the room, pulling off his damp jacket. "You've been gone for hours." Clary said to him. "I got worried after the sun came up."

"I'm sorry. Had to go and see someone that I know." he said to her.

"Was it Simon?"

"No. No, I think he's working right now."

"Okay. Who did you see?"

"My informant. She gave me some information that I needed."

Clary moved over, taking all of his damp clothing off of him, not listening to his complaints about him being naked in front of her. She threw him over some warm clothes. "Here. Jonathan left them here. Thought it would bring me some security." she said. "If anything, that's the last thing that it did."

Raphael nodded, slowly pulling on the sweatshirt and pants. "I found out some things while I was out."

"You did! What is it!" she called.

"Magnus' father hired someone named Azazel. He's apparently, according to Bane, my source and himself, he is one of the best hit men in this business. He's taken down a lot of people before." he said to him.

Clary raised her eyebrow. "Why would Asmodeus hire a hit man if his motive is to make things right with Magnus?"

"He's also a professional kidnapper." Raphael stated.

"A what?! What the fuck is a professional kidnapper?" she asked, rhetorically.

"You tell me." Raphael responded with a shrug. "I had no idea it was a thing. But apparently in this life, anything from a parents worst nightmare is real."

"So, Asmodeus wants to kidnap Magnus?"

"Technically yes. He hired him to just take Magnus out of Lightwood manor. He's there to take Lightwood as well though."

"What is the problem with that?"

"Azazel is not one to follow orders. He might be the best kidnapper, but my source told me that he's dangerous. He will kill whoever is around. Sometimes, he'll kill his victims that he was hired to kidnap."

"Magnus." Clary gasped, biting her nail in worry. "He's in danger."

"I won't let Magnus get hurt." Raphael said, taking a hold of her shoulders. "Trust me. I won't let anything happen to him."

"What about my father? What does he want?" Clary asked. "Have you found out what he wants with him and this Lightwood guy?"

"I haven't. Valentine was very silent about his plan, even with your brother and Bane. He's planning something fairly dangerous. With Magnus at the center of it. And I need to warn him or at least get him out of there and someplace safer." Raphael said. 

Clary looked down, her breathing slowly starting to become erratic. "Oh God..."

"Clary, look at me. Look at me, okay? Look at me. Look at me, and breathe." he called. "In and out. In and out." Clary slowly followed his breathing technique. "Good. Good. I will bring Magnus home safe and sound. Trust me _roja_. He's going to be alright."

"How are you going to get him out of there?" she asked.

"I'm not sure. But I've been trained for this. I'm going to save him. Trust me." he said, turning over.

"Then I'm going with you." she called.

"What? No."

"Do not tell me no right now Raph."

"Clary, look. I understand that you want to help me and that you want to help Magnus. But going out there into the field, with a dangerous hit man-"

"I have you to protect me."

" _Roja_ please. You are-"

"Not safe here obviously if the man that is my father is trying to use one of my best friends for something evil and is willing to hurt him. I am going with you Raphael! End of discussion!" she yelled.

"No. Not end of discussion. You are not coming with me Clary. I want to keep you alive!" Raphael said. "I can get you out of here and maybe someplace safe away from your father, but I'm not letting you come with me."

"But that's not for you to decide!"

"I know that. But this is your life Clary!"

"I am going with you! Magnus is my friend too. And I'm pretty sure that I can help."

"How?" Raphael asked, scoffing.

"I am pretty damned sure that you can't just walk into Lightwood manor." Clary said. "Especially considering that he threw you out and threatened you. And isn't he keeping tabs on you?"

"He tried. I'm very good at hiding, your point is though?" he asked her.

"I can help you get inside." she said.

"How?"

"Didn't you tell me that they all have tattoos?"

"I did."

Clary turned over, picking up a pad off the dresser. She quickly drew something on it. "Do any of them look like this?"

Raphael was about to dismiss it, but his eyes moved over at the picture. It was one of Lightwood's tattoos. "Yes. How-How did you recognize this?"

"I know someone. I remember him." she said. "We met at a coffee shop. I gave him my card and he gave me his number."

"Name is?"

"Jace."

"How are you so lucky?!" he called out.

Clary just smiled at his outburst. "I'm just that attractive apparently. Anyways, maybe he could help us."

"I doubt it. He is Lightwood's right hand man. He hates me just as much as Lightwood does."

"But you won't be asking him. I will."

Raphael raised his eyebrow, smiling. "That is pretty smart of you."

"We're going to get Magnus back. Together. This will work. But we have to work together on this." she said. "Please Raphael."

He sighed. "Please... just text the bastard."

She smiled widely. This was going to work. They were going to get Magnus back and they were going to get out of this. All together.


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus' leg is doing better. Alec, in celebration of his healing and the kiss, wants to take Magnus with him to Baltimore. There Magnus helps Alec with a job.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update! 🙇🏽♀️

Alec was never been more anxious than right now in this moment. He had been in life threatening situations, and yet something like this made him really really nervous. He was tapping his foot as he leaned against the door. It felt like he was waiting for a baby to be born. But considering that he was gayer than the rainbow fish and he was a man that dealt with death daily, he would never be awaiting that moment. But this was as close as it was going to get. He huffed, blowing some hair out of his face. He turned over, seeing the door opened. He jumped off of the wall, a bit too excitedly than he probably should have. He turned over to Cat, who looked a bit too calm. "How is he?" he asked her. "Is he okay?"

"He's fine. Jesus, you are a helicopter." Cat snapped at him as she put her phone inside of her doctor's bag. "Magnus' leg has actually been doing quite well. I can only assume that it is because of our constant carrying?"

"Maybe." he said with a smile. He wasn't at all trying to deny it. It wasn't something that he had to lie about. He enjoyed carrying Magnus.

Cat smiled back at him, moving one of her bracelets back in place. "Taking a look at the break from before and now, the bone is almost completely set. I do need to recommend no strenuous activity though. I know I said it before, but I need for it to stay still. He's going to need the wheelchair for a couple more days. Maybe weeks? Then I can set him up with some crutches again and slowly but surely he'll be walking."

"That's great." Alec said with a smile. "That's amazing. Thank you Catarina."

"Not a problem. I am always here for you crazy people." she said with an eyebrow wiggle. "Now, I have to get going. I have to get to work."

"I thought you worked here."

"I still need to make money for taxes or the IRS will come after my ass."

Alec chuckled. "Have a nice day Cat."

Cat smiled at him, walking over to the staircase. She stopped in her tracks though, curious. She turned over, seeing that Alec was now staring at the closed door. That was a first. Alec wasn't one for formal greetings. He usually just grunted or nodded whenever she was done working on him or one of his subordinates. She smiled. That was a nice surprise to start out her morning. She turned around and left. This Magnus Bane was doing wonders for Alec.

Alec sighed, slowly knocking on the door. He patiently awaited for an answer from inside. He then heard a soft voice calling out to him. Alec smiled, twisting the door opened. He looked over, seeing Magnus sitting down against his bed. He had a thick blanket wrapped around his shoulders and a book in his lap. Always a book. Alec smiled, walking towards him. Magnus looked beautiful. The morning glow around him shined on his face and his makeup. Showing off the beautiful and wonderful tan skin. Alec's cheeks started to get hot.

Magnus looked over at him, smiling. He set his thumb into his book's place and smiled at him. Alec smiled back, slowly moving over towards Magnus. He moved over to make room, resting his hand against the smaller man's shoulder. He slowly moved over and pressed a sweet kiss against Magnus' temple. Magnus blushed. "Good morning." he said. "You are quite cuddly this morning. It's only been a few days."

"Well I was just told the wonderful news." Alec said. "That sooner or later, that damned wheelchair will be away from you."

"I'm aware. Cat told me. I am the patient after all." Magnus said with a chuckle. "How are this morning Alexander?"

"I'm fine. You know how mornings are." he said. "I do have some work to take care of though. I wish that I didn't though."

"I hope that you don't mind me asking, what kind of work do you have to take care of?" Magnus asked him with a small grin.

Alec inhaled, trying to find a way to word it. "Just, I uh... hum... well, it's kind of hard to explain to you. I have to head over to the docks, take care of some shipments. Take care of some people."

"Are you going to hurt anyone?"

"I only hurt people that deserve to be hurt. But I don't need to hurt anyone. Not today."

"Oh. Well, what kind of shipment is it?"

"Drugs."

"Christ almighty."

Alec chuckled. "I'm just making sure that what is being shipped over here to the city is pure drugs. If it's for medinical purposes or for recreational purposes, it needs to pure. People try to lace my drugs in an attempt to get my people more addicted. I don't stand for that."

"That's actually a very valid reason." Magnus said. "And I thought my life was hard."

"It is. You've been treated terribly all your life."

"That is not at all a big deal in comparison to what you do."

Alec couldn't help but smile at him. "So, I was wondering... after I'm done with that, would you want to come over and have dinner at your bookstore? Maybe a picnic?"

"You know, for someone who is so dark and vengeful, you do have quite adorable ideas for dates." Magnus said. "I'd love to. I'll do all of the preparations while you are away.

"You don't have to if you don't want to. As a matter of fact, what if you came with me?" Alec said.

Magnus' eyebrow quirked up. "You want for me to come with you on a murder mission."

"It's not a murder mission. And, I thought that you would like the fresh air. The docks are in Baltimore. It's an okay trip by train. And we can explore the place together."

"That seems like a nice date idea. Even better than the bookstore picnic."

"We can still find a bookstore if you want. If you want to come that is."

Magnus smiled. "I'd love to come with you."

Alec smiled widely. He hadn't expected for this to go the way it did. He was just going to check up on Magnus. But it turned into him asking Magnus out on a date. He took his hands again and pressed a sweet kiss against his cheek. "Do you need help getting ready?"

"I'll be alright darling." he answered.

"Okay then. I'll meet you in the foyer kitten." Alec said, getting up from the bed.

Magnus blushed. His cheeks were shining brightly from how red his cheeks became. He was usually the one that gave the nice and quirky nicknames. Biscuit, every other name that started with S other than Simon, darling. But no one gave him a nickname other than Mags. Kitten was so endearing him. He found himself purring into his hand. God dammit Alexander Lightwood.

* * *

Alec tapped his foot, waiting outside of the foyer for Magnus. He wasn't impatient this time, unlike before. He was rather excited. This was a date. His first date really ever. He hoped that he wasn't going to ruin what he had with Magnus with this. He was very excited to explore what feelings he had with this man. He turned over, seeing someone up the steps. Magnus. He smiled. He looked beautiful. Why the fuck did he look positively stunning in every single color known to man? The peachy pink looked amazing on his skin along with the wonderful jewelry. Magnus smiled, waving at him. Alec just stayed still at the bottom of the stairs. Completely bewitched by the beauty of this man. "Are you a witch?" he called, his mouth moving faster than his brain could compute.

Magnus raised his eyebrow, before chuckling. "Male witches are called warlocks darling." he called, looking down at him.

"Then... are you a warlock?" he called. "Because I think that you've put a spell on me."

Magnus sat there, a bit dumbfounded before he started to chuckle. "That was pretty corny."

"Corny is my specialty."

"I thought that being feared was your specialty."

"People can have more than one talent." Alec said, going up the steps towards him. He scooped up Magnus into his arms, holding the wheelchair on the other and bringing him down the steps.

Magnus gripped his neck tightly. It was quite nice to be in his arms. "So, a drive from New York to Baltimore is like four hours long by car."

"No. It's four hours long from Brooklyn."

"Wait... where are we then? Exactly. Are we still in New York?"

"We are. We're upstate."

"How far upstate is upstate?"

"Don't worry kitten, we're not in Saratoga Springs or Ithaca. We're a bit close to Westchester County." he answered, setting down the wheelchair and Magnus down with it. He rubbed his shoulder comfortingly.

"Can I ask you why?"

"Why what?"

"Why you're here in Westchester instead of in the city? Isn't that where you do most of your work?"

"Most of my problems might be in the city, yes. So if I live upstate so that no one can try and attack me and my family. I am safer here."

"Oh. Okay. I'm sorry if I offended you."

"No, no." Alec called. "You didn't. It's fine. You want to know where you're being held."

"Not held. Protected." Magnus corrected with a smile.

Alec blushed. Magnus Bane surely was something different.

* * *

The drive to Baltimore was estimated to be three and a half hours long. But for Magnus, it was a lot different than his usual road trips. When he had gone on trips with Simon and Clary before, they would just sing along to the songs in the car. But with Alec, it was different. Firstly, it wasn't just a car. It was a pretty lavish looking RV. And while his guards were driving the car, he and Magnus sat down in the back bedroom. Resting against the bed watching movies that Alec had surprisingly never seen. It was nice. And very comfortable. Feeling the vibrations underneath the RV while he was resting right next to Alec. He had his hand rested on Magnus', a bright coral blush on his cheeks. Magnus was thought that it was so wonderful. It was a strange. He had never really been with someone before. Sure, he had dated before. But he had never had never ever had feelings like this for someone. Not for the way that he felt about Alec. Sure, the ways that things had started out was less than ideal. It was horrific to state the least.

But Alec had shown that there was a different side of him than one that was evil and murderous. He was very kind. These feelings were so new to him. New and a bit alarming. Some side of him felt scared for his life when around him the first time around. But... that side of him was dormant now. Magnus knew that Alec would never hurt him. He felt the same amount of care to Magnus and he felt for him.

They arrived in Baltimore after the end of one of their movies. Magnus admired the way the place looked from the window. The afternoon sun made the city look amazing. He smiled widely. He was excited to be here. To take in some fresh air. To be with Alec. The RV slowly pulled in towards a docks. Magnus stayed still on his spot on the bed. He was running his fingers against the edge of the tablet that they were watching movies on. Alec slowly pulled away from Magnus. "I'll be right back." he said, adjusting his trench coat and smoothing out the wrinkles.

Magnus nodded, rubbing his lips together. "Okay... okay."

Alec smiled. He moved over to him, pressing a kiss against his forehead. He then turned on his heel and left. Magnus then heard all of the other guards leave along with him. He slowly moved off of the bed as carefully as he could and sat down in his wheelchair, that Alec set out in front of the bed. He slowly wheeled himself into the main sitting area of the RV. He noticed how all of his curtains were pulled out. Covering the windows and leaving the inside a bit dark. Raising a brow in curiousity, he slowly moved one curtain out of the way. He saw Alec standing right in front of three other guys. He was taller than all of them combined, and two of them were in high heels. His men were flanking him. Supporting him and prepared for any kind of attack. 

Magnus couldn't help but blush. Alec looked so powerful there. Like he was prepared for anything. It was wonderful to look at. Magnus bit his lip. Damn, Alec was sexy. Magnus couldn't hear what he was talking about, but he seemed very annoyed. Magnus watched as he talked to the people in front of him. His eyes telling the story before his body language even got the opportunity. He was just going to turn back over and try to find something to do to while he waited. But his eye wandered over. Alec was standing right in between two wharfs, and his small curtain opening showed both. The group moved over to the one towards the right. But there was a strange feeling in Magnus' stomach. His eyes wandered over to the one on the left.

Maybe there was something in there. Something bad that Alec wasn't being told. Magnus hummed, wheeling himself out of the RV as quietly as possible. He wheeled himself over towards the left wharf. As he moved over, he heard the conversation happening.

"It's entirely pure. Half was going to head over for medical facilities, the other half to your own sellers." called one of the women.

"Hmm." Alec just hummed.

"Nothing at all laced. We had some of it dry out and some die on the way here, but that's pretty much it. I promise." said the other woman.

Magnus huffed. _Doesn't seem that way sister_ , he thought. Magnus rolled inside of the left wharf. The doors had been left opened. That's probably where they had come in from before meeting Alexander. He raised his brow as he wheeled around the place. It was dark. There was a ship resting against the ground in the middle of the huge building. He noticed some terrible dents against it. No wonder it was in here. Probably for repairs. He wheeled himself away from the boat and noticed some wooden boxes resting against the walls. He raised his eyebrow. Something smelled fishy. And it wasn't just the fact that they were right around a large body of water. Magnus pressed his hand against the box's top, a bit confused and interested in what was here.

He tried to pry the top open. But he couldn't. He wasn't very strong with these constant weeks of resting and relaxing. He would have to ask Alec if there was a gym nearby in the next few weeks. He exhaled in frustration. He turned around, searching for something to open. His ears perked up, hearing something from outside. "You better not fuck with me this time Leah. You know how much I don't like being lied to." Alec stated. It was a sneer that Magnus heard in his voice.

"This is all of it." the woman, Leah, apparently said. "All of it is ready for your men to take."

"And it's pure!" the male voice called. "We swear. We know not to lie to you Lightwood."

Magnus moved over, seeing a metal object resting against the concrete. Quickly, he picked it up off the ground. He turned over back to the mysterious box and stabbed the top. He gripped it tightly, pushing down as much as he could before it cracked off. He sighed, looking down. It was multiple filled needles. They were in small plastic bags to separate. Each needle was filled up with a pale liquid. Magnus thought at first that it was heroin. But the color didn't match.. He slowly pulled his jacket sleeve up to over the first half of his palm as he picked up one of the needles. He rubbed it gently, looking for some type of label or something to tell him what he was holding He set it down gently, looking around the boxes. He rubbed the wood, looking at the side. He noticed some words written against it. Printed against it was written in black bold ink.

**CROCODILE**

Magnus raised his eyebrow. What? Why would this be labled Crocodile? Was it the name of the brand? Magnus rubbed it over and then his eyes widened. He remembered learning about this medical school. He looked up, wheeling towards the door. "ALEXANDER!" he cried. "ALEC!"

It only took a second after his scream for the mafia boss to come running out of the wharf. He held a gun in his hands as worry was written all over his face. He turned over, seeing Magnus right in front of the door of the left wharf. He sprinted over, kneeling down in front of him. "What is it?! Are you alright?!" he called, cupping his cheek.

Magnus turned over and saw the three people run out. Their faces turned pale. Almost in shock. Magnus knew now that it was them. He took Alec's arm and pulled him inside of the wharf. He wheeled as fast as he could over towards the crate that he opened. "Look at this." he called.

Alec raised his eyebrow. He looked inside, seeing the massive amount of needles filled with liquid. He raised his eyebrow. He picked one up carefully, eyeing it. He turned over at the door. One of the girls and the one guy hid behind the Leah girl. Alec's guards looked in the box for a second, before taking out their guns and pointing them at the three. Alec set down the box and looked down at the box. "Crocodile?" he repeated.

"This is a drug called desomorphine." Magnus said to him.

"Morphine?" one of Alec's guards called.

"No. Desomorphine. It's a dangerous drug. It's street name is known as krokodil. Which is why it's labeled as crocodile." Magnus explained.

"How do you know about this?" Alec asked him.

"Medical school." Magnus said. "This is dangerous. The high you get might be fine, but it rots a person's skin and let's it fall off until there's nothing but bone. People get addicted quick."

Alec slowly raised his eyebrow as he turned to face Leah. "Care to explain?" he growled through clenched teeth.

Leah inhaled. "I don't... I don't own this wharf."

"Do not lie to me Leah. I am already ticked off. Do not make me go trigger happy on you." Alec growled, his teeth baring.

Leah shivered. She rubbed her arm. Magnus looked up at Alec and then back over to to her. "Who made you order this?" he asked.

"What?" Alec and Leah said in unison.

"Please, lower your guns. There's no need for that." Magnus called to Alec's guards. They all raised their brows, but they lowered the weapons. Alec watched the way that Magnus worked. It was a bit strange. "You didn't order this because you wanted to. I can tell. You're not shivering because you were caught. You shivering because of the outcome from someone else. Not just Alec. Who made you do it?" Magnus said.

Leah bit her lip. "Morgenstern."

Alec growled. "Morgenstern?!"

"He offered me what I couldn't refuse! I swear!" she cried. "He offered me cash for my mom. You know that I can't afford a furneral. Please Lightwood! I had to!

"You had to?! You fucking kidding me?! I want you to get rid of these guys! Now! Shoot 'em dead!" he yelled.

"No!"

"Magnus!"

"They were forced into this. They couldn't say no. You can't kill them for that! Don't do that! Trust me... you can't kill them Alexander... they were desperate."

Alec looked down at him. He then looked at them. "Mags..." he whispered.

"You said you didn't kill mundanes or innocents. You only hurt who deserves to be hurt. They are just as innocent as I am. Please." he whispered back. "Listen to me please... please."

Alec licked his lips. He didn't want to let them get away with this. He wanted to make an example out of these guys. But, he couldn't find himself to do with around Magnus. Especially hearing what he had said. They were innocent. Magnus was bright. He knew things that he couldn't even tell. "Can you burn this stuff?" he asked Magnus.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"We can get rid of them. We can! We promise!" called the guy cowering behind Leah. "We have a way."

"Do it then. Now." he bellowed.

"What about Morgenstern?" Magnus asked. "Alec, they need to get out of here if he doesn't get this stuff. He is dangerous. That's what you told me." Alec huffed. Magnus moved his hand over, taking Alec's and rubbing it in comfort. Alec looked down at him. He sighed, seeing how beautiful he looked and how desperate he was for an answer. "Please Alexander."

Alec sighed. He rubbed Magnus cheek. "You get rid of the krokodil, I'll get you away from Morgenstern. Got it?"

They all nodded. Alec smiled, looking over and Magnus. He took a hold of his handlebars and slowly wheeled him out. "I'm sorry." Magnus whispered. "I should have stayed inside or at least let you-"

"Don't apologize babe." Alec replied. "You and your wonderful curiosity and intelligence helped save not only their lives, but probably hundreds. I should be apologizing to you."

"For what?"

"Leaving you in the RV."

"I didn't mind."

"Sure you didn't."

Magnus blushed. He moved over, pulling Alec by the collar of his trench coat. He pulled him down and pressed a sweet kiss against his lips. Alec's eyes widened in shock and confusion, but he kissed him back. _Strange reason to kiss someone_ , he thought. _But why would I question it? Magnus is a perfect kisser. A perfect man._


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Simon already knows about the Lightwoods. He's not afraid (well... not really). If anything, it makes him want to stay with Izzy more.
> 
> Alec finally is able to spend an entire day with Magnus, exploring the parts of Baltimore that he had never visited before. And most important, seeing things in Magnus and himself that he had never seen before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Wednesday my loves!
> 
> This is an entire chapter this time! No more author's notes! I promise you all! And this is one of my favorite chapters! It includes a scene with two of the best couples in the show (Sizzy and Malec). I love them so so much and I hope that you like these scenes as much as I do. So posting this as soon as the time became today (if that makes any damn sense) was needed. I was too excited to wait until tomorrow morning. I hope you are just as excited. Hugs and kisses my loves! 
> 
> And thanks for the support through the poll bullshit! 💗

Izzy inhaled, thinking about everything that had just happened in the last few hours. It didn't even seem like a lot. To the naked eye, it was just her being honest to a man that she really, truly cared about. It would be seen as sweet that she was telling him the candid truth. But for her, she was just unleashing all of the dirty laundry to Simon. Being honest and just telling the truth wasn't even the half of it. Because this was her entire life that he was telling him. Someone like Simon Lewis was a lot different to this world. He didn't know about this life. Or at least all of it. And she was still waiting for his response. After she had said everything, he told her to just wait a moment. She had only finished speaking about everything once their brunch date was over. So she was seated in a park bench near Grand Central. Waiting to see if Simon had just run off and left her there as to not hurt her feelings too much.

But the suregon slowly walked over to her, holding two cups of ice cream. He sat down next to her and handed her a cup. "Here." he said.

Izzy smiled, taking it from him. "I thought you had run off." she said truthfully, picking off the huge chunks of strawberry inside the treat.

"No." he said. "Here's the thing about me, I need some time to gather my words and my thoughts. Comes from a lifetime of bad conversations with my mom. Sorry if it worried you."

Izzy nodded, taking in a spoonful. "I'm sorry. This is a lot of shit that I just threw at you."

Simon hummed. "Well... not really." he said. Izzy raised his eyebrow. "Honestly Isabelle, I'm not surprised. Well, I am surprised. But not... surprised surprised. You know? Probably not. Anyways, this isn't as big as... well... I mean, it's not a big deal. Get that world ending and us ending scenario out of that pretty head of yours."

"Why are you not surprised at this?"

"Because I already know about the Lightwoods."

"Almost all real New Yorkers know about us. But they don't know everything. And I just told you everything. We-"

"That's not what I meant. Let me be a bit clearer then. I mean like I am... kind of... sorta... hypothetically... involved." he said.

"Wait... how? Are you apart of cabal that I don't know about?"

"No. I just cut people open for a living. What could I bring to the table other than my nerdy knowledge?"

"Then... how do you know about this?"

"Three people that I really know and love are involved in this life." he said. "Two of which just recently got involved just like me. And the third person has been apart of it for years."

Izzy nodded. "So... you're not surprised? Since you've known for a bit."

"I actually only known for like maybe a week? That's not a lot. And I kinda always knew that there was something special about you." he said. Izzy blushed. Simon took her hand and kissed her knuckle. She smiled at the small display of affection. "I told you that nothing could change the way I feel about you. I still really like you, I still wanna explore what I feel and besides, from what you told me, you are not directly linked to it. It is just a relation thing. You help when you can and when you want. Regardless though, it doesn't matter to me. You're still you."

Izzy smiled, nodding at his understanding. Simon sure was something special. She looked over at him. "I think that should answer your girlfriend question then." she said.

"Wait... r-really?"

"Yeah. I will be your girlfriend, boyfriend."

Simon smiled. He set down his ice cream and cupped her chin underneath his larger hands. Izzy smiled. Knowing where this was going. Slowly, they moved in and met in a sweet kiss.

Unbeknownst to them that there was something behind them. Someone behind them. Watching from afar in silence. Hidden under the pretense of reading a book. The man set down the novel he didn't care about and pulled out his phone, quickly snapping a picture.

* * *

Alec had never been talked out of doing something before. He had never allowed someone else to convince him out of hurting someone else. He called the shots every damn time. And if anyone ever tried to tell him anything other than what he was thinking, he would probably kill them instead of who was intended. Unless it was his mother or Izzy. But then again, he never listened to them anyways. But everyone else that had tried to talk him out of something wasn't Magnus Bane. He was so different. Wonderful. Beautiful. And he had a real reason to helping. He managed to discover something that he hadn't even known about. Something that he never knew about. And he helped save about a hundred people's lives. He was so grateful that Magnus was here. For that reason and for the beauty that he was and the kindness that he showed. Alec's eyes stayed on him, watching him as the RV continued it's drive towards Baltimore. Almost as if he was protecting him and keeping him safe here with him. He looked up at the window, noticing the buildings around him. "Stop here." he called to his driver.

The RV slowly came to a complete stop. Magnus raised his eyebrow, looking up at Alec from their spot on the bed. Alec got up and picked up his coat from it's fallen spot on the ground. He pulled it on and took a hold of Magnus' wheelchair and helped him down into it. Alec gave his guards the silent warning to stay close in case they needed protection or a fight was the start. After it was made clear, Alec helped Magnus out and into the world. Magnus' eyes widened, seeing the situation around him. "Woah." Magnus called. "Where are we?"

"Baltimore."

"I know that Alexander."

"I know. I know. I don't often explore Baltimore, so I don't know where we are exactly either. I thought that you and I would be able to explore the place together." Alec said with a smile. "How does that sound?"

Magnus smiled widely, clapping his hands together. "Let's do it."

"Then kitten, since you are all so lucky to be seated during this journey of ours, what way shall we head?" he asked.

Magnus turned his head over, seeing the wide bay and the beautiful maroon walkway that they were on. He pointed forward with a closed mouth grin. Alec moved on. "So... why do you call me kitten?" he asked.

"I'm sorry. Does it bother you? I'll stop if it does." Alec said, frowning at the thought of bothering or hurting Magnus in any kind of way.

"Oh! Alexander, do not be alarmed. It doesn't bother me. Not at all. Trust me." Magnus said, waving his hands. As they approached a small little restaurant, Magnus pointed for them to follow the bay towards it. "I just wanted to know why."

"Oh. Well, you scrunch your nose like a baby cat. And your eyes might be brown, but in the night I can see a hint of gold in them. Like the eyes of a black cat." Alec explained. "And you're very cuddly and when you want to be quiet. Like a kitten. Your little snorts are even like meows. And you purr like one."

Magnus found his hand moving up to touch his cheek as Alec spoke to him. Red hot. It almost hurt to touch. He didn't even know that he did those things. Having Alec point them out made him feel loved and almost wanted. "I'm not that cuddly." he stated.

"But you are. Every single time you are in a bridal carry, you always lean into my touch. It's adorable." Alec said with a smile. "And since we're talking about the two of us here, why don't I ask you something?"

"Alrighty Alexander. Go on."

"Why do you call me by my full name?"

"I just think that it gives you character. There's a hundred different Alecs or Alexs all over the city. But you're the one and only Alexander. You're special."

"Really?"

"Very."

"Funny joke. There is nothing quite special about me."

"I am hilarious now aren't I? But no, seriously. You are so much different than everyone else and anyone else that I have ever met. I know you for you. You're not the big, bad, evil, scary Alec Lightwood to me. You're just Alexander. Sweet, kind and understanding Alexander Lightwood."

Alec was now blushing. Full on. He smiled as he wheeled Magnus around. He turned over, seeing a bunch of different buildings starting to emerge along the bay. Magnus eyes met with them as well. He noticed different restaurants just next to one another. "I guess that this place knows what the tourists want." Alec said with a smile. "You hungry?"

Magnus smiled. "I could eat."

* * *

Magnus slowly moved wheeled himself closer to the table, smiling at how beautiful the place was. There were three chain restaurants around him, but Magnus thought that going to a different one would be better. And this was on the water. He was usually afraid of water, but he felt safe with Alec around him. So God forbid if he had fallen, he knew the cabal leader would dive in and rescue him like it was nothing. Alec sat down opposite to him, his fingers running against the menu. He was trying to look down at the items he could order. But his eyes kept on wandering up to Magnus. He had a glow about him now that he was up here in open air and outside of the manor. It was different. Alec couldn't help but kick himself in the ass for thinking about how he isolated Magnus. Poor Magnus. Innocent and beautiful Magnus. He bit his lip. He wanted to do something for Magnus. He had feelings for Magnus. They were strong and very overwhelming. He wanted him. Even more knowing that Magnus had feelings for him as well. But he doubted that some of the things he's done helped Magnus determine his feelings for the cabal leader.

He covered his face with the menu to hide his embarrassed blush and anxiety filled eyes. What could he do that he already hadn't done? He's bought him a bookstore. He brought him to Baltimore. But then again, he also choked him, threatened him and kidnapped him. What more could he do that would be good? Magnus looked over at Alec, seeing the way he was hunched over and hiding his face. "Alexander?" he called to him, grinning.

"Huh?" Alec called, sitting up a bit too fast and pushing his chair back. Making an audible squeak.

"What are you doing?" Magnus asked him, tilting his head to the side.

Alec bit his lip, rubbing the back of his neck. "I uh... um... nothing. Nothing. So, what do you want to order?"

"I dunno. I haven't had pasta in a while. I was thinking one of those dishes. How about you?"

"I was going to get a steak."

"The steaks look amazing. I was thinking of getting one. They seem pricey though."

"It's fine if you want one. I am the one paying for the meal after all."

Magnus hummed. "You know, I do have money. I can give you money to pay for this."

"I need no ransom from you Magnus Bane." Alec said with a chuckle, moving his hand over and taking Magnus'.

"Well when you put it like that it sounds quite drastic."

"It kind of is isn't it?"

Magnus chuckled. "That's awful sweet of you Alexander. Thank you."

Alec hummed, tapping the table's tablecloth. "Magnus, I... I've never done something like this before."

"What? Lunch?" Magnus asked.

"Yes. Well, no. I mean, well. I guess... well I... huh. I haven't done a meal like this, but that's not what I meant. I mean a relationship. I've never done one. Like this." he said.

Magnus blushed. "I'm glad to be your first then."

"Have you done this before?"

"I have. With a few people. But I've never had a real connection with one of them. They were never looking for a boyfriend in me. They always wanted something out of me. I was just looking for someone to love and care for me. Give me the attention that I never got before, you know?"

"I understand that. So... many real relationships have you had?"

"Seventeen."

"That's... a lot."

"No. It's really not. Fourteen of the latter were just one night stands that expanded for a few weeks or months or old friends with benefits. The other three... well, we tried. But none of them were the one. One never had time for me. Another just wanted me for money, which I didn't have at the time. One was just trying to get her son's grades up."

"Sounds like you've had a pretty shitty dating life. I'm sorry about that Magnus." Alec said, sipping his water and taking a hold of both of his hands.

"Don't be. It's not a huge deal." he replied. "How many relationships have you had"

Alec bit his lip again, so much so that he peeled off some it it's skin. "Hmm."

"You can be honest with me Alexander." Magnus called. "I won't judge you."

Alec sighed. "I've had a lot of one night stands. I never really dated outside of that. just fucked a lot of people." he said. "If I can count... about a hundred men since I turned seventeen."

Magnus kept his smile. "So... were you safe?"

"Like consensually?"

"No. Well, yes but were you safe sexually? Did you practice safe sex? Do you get tested often?"

"Oh! I did. I do, I still do!" he cried, rubbing the back of his neck. "How about you? Have you had any one night stands?"

"I have had some... around... seventeen..."

"Just seventeen again?" Alec asked. Magnus shook his head no. "Seventeen hundred? "Seventeen thousand?!"

"No! No! Hundred. Seventeen hundred. I guess that it's my lucky number. I've seen a lot of people... and some of them are really... kinky... and I have been doing it since I was sixteen so... a new one almost everyday is-"

"Woah, woah, woah, it's fine. It's fine. I'm not her . I'm not hear to judge. I understand. Probably because of your father right? Well, if the same goes for you with testing and consent, I see no problem for us."

"Me too." Magnus said with a shrug. "I still like you for you Alexander. Not that you've had relations with a lot of guys or that you're this big, bad, evil cabal head. I still like you."

Alec smiled. Magnus Bane did everything that he never got from other men. He raised Magnus' hand and pressed a kiss against the back of his palm. "I like you too. A whole lot."

Magnus blushed. "So... is this another date?" he asked. "Unless you don't consider lunch a date."

"I do consider it a date." Alec said with a smile, rubbing the rings against his fingers. "I consider this whole Baltimore adventure a date actually."

Magnus and Alec's eyes met. They just stared into their eyes. It was wonderful being here. Being with Magnus was amazing. Just explore the beautiful that was Magnus Bane. Magnus smiled at the way that Alec looked at him so wonderfully. _I've never felt this way about someone ever_ , he thought. _Oh lord, I want Alexander to be mine. I adore Alexander Lightwood. Despite it all_.

* * *

The bay of Baltimore is one of the most popular tourists sight areas. There were historical boats resting against the waters and they were wonderful to look at, admire and maybe learn about. Magnus and Alec found themselves having a wonderful time, looking up the historic of the boats and discussing history that was all around them. Alec used to love history class when he was still in high school and Magnus used to be close friends with history teachers at his school. It was so fun for the two of them to wheel around the bay, reading all of the wonderful notes and anecdotes about the historic ships and the historic city. It was wonderful for them to read about the history and get a little misty eyed together. As the sun slowly set, they held hands and together they were able to look on at the beautiful way the sun looked on the wavy waters.

Just as the sun set, it got cold again and heavy snow started to fall down from the sky. Alec quickly started to wheel Magnus from the outside to inside somewhere where it was warm and safe. They wheeled inside of a gigantic Barnes and Noble near the restaurants. Alec sighed, wiping the snow from the wheelchair bound man's shoulder. Magnus smiled at him, turning over. "Woah." he called, eyeing the store's beautiful ship like interior. "This is the coolest looking Barnes and Noble I've ever been to!"

Alec eyed the interior as well, smiling with him. "Yeah. It's pretty cool in here." he called. "You want some coffee?"

"I'd love some actually. Thank you Alexander." he said to him.

"Alright. How about you go and take a look? I'll be right back with that drink." he said, pressing a kiss to the top of his head.

Magnus blushed. They've only admitted that they liked each other for a day, but he felt like Alec had been making a living of making butterflies in his stomach for weeks. He turned over, wheeling around the shelves. He smiled, seeing so many books around him. He picked up one that seemed pretty interesting. He had finished the book that he had been reading before in Alec's RV. He needed a new one. He picked up the story, smiling at the tale of revised fairy tales in the modern era. Magnus turned his chair over, resting against the shelf and opening up the book.

He didn't get to start to read when he felt someone tap his shoulder. He looked up, seeing Alec holding up a cup of warm coffee and a paper bag. "I don't usually drink this Starbucks stuff, but their pumpkin bread is pretty good. Thought you might like it." he said.

Magnus smiled, taking it. "Thank you." he said. "What kind of coffee is this?"

"Izzy said you liked fruity teas but when you are in the mood, you like those fancy cappuccino stuff. It's that with vanilla." he said.

"Thank you." he said with a thankful smile, hugging the cup as much as he could with his fingers.

"So, what did you find while I was gone?" Alec asked, looking down at the book on his lap. 

Magnus held up the book with a wide smile. "It's revised fairy tales. There's Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Beauty and the Beast! All in the modern era!"

 _I would describe how I feel about you like Beauty and the Beast_ , Alec thought while looking at the beautiful sparkle in Alec's eyes. _You're beautiful. Inside and out. And look at me. A monster that you apparently like._

"It sounds interesting. And the fact that you look quite excited about it much mean that it is good." he said. "So, if you want to, maybe we can read it together."

"But I don't have money to buy it. I was just going to wait and see if it's in my store or if a shipment comes."

"No, no, no, no. I'm going to buy it. Right now"

"No." Magnus called. "Alexander, you don't have to buy me a book. There's no reason do. I haven't done anything to deserve this gift from you. Or anything from you."

"I broke your ankle!" he called back.

"No. You did not physically break my ankle. I blame that Raj guy. And I have already forgiven you for that." Magnus said.

Alec hummed. He still snatched the book from it. "I'm still buying it for you." he said, running off over to the cashier. Magnus scoffed, wheeling quickly over to catch up with him. Laughing all the way.

* * *

When Alec heard stories about love, he was always skeptical. He would hear about how Izzy dreamt of love from family dinners. He would hear about Jace falling in love every time he went to a bar or club. He would hear about his mother's mysterious lover from years past. He never thought or expected love for himself. It wasn't something that he thought was possible to find. Every man that he fucked was someone that he could pass off. Someone disposable. Everyone else wanted something. His money. His power. He knew that he wouldn't get anything from that kind of relationship. But Magnus didn't know or want anything. And as they laid down in the bed of the RV together, Alec listening to Magnus slowly read the book that they had purchased, he came to a realization. He had always been the head. The head of New York. The head of his cabal. The head of his home. For years, they had had a wife. His father had his mother. And his grandmother had his grandfather. Since he became head, he hadn't had someone by his side. A wife.

And now, Alec wanted Magnus to be by his side. He wanted to protect him from the world that was outside of his manor. He wanted to treat him the way that he deserved to be treated. He wanted to love him when until the end of time. He wants Magnus to be by his side. To be his.

He smiled contently, leaning against the pillows as he heard Magnus' comforting voice read the lines of the novel. His hand leaned over, intertwining his own fingers with Magnus'. Magnus looked up from the book, seeing the look in Alec's eyes. Other than a small sense of exhaustion, there was desire in his eyes. Magnus blushed. He felt the same way that Alec felt. Alec was so kind to him. He didn't care about anything or anyone else. The situation around them might have been horrible, but it seemed to bring them closer. Make them closer. He set the book down, not even bothering with the fact that he would lose his page and get lost in an abyss of paragraphs. He moved over to Alec as carefully as he could with his fragile leg. Alec helped him, pulling him up onto his lap. Magnus placed his hand against the side of his neck, look at him. Alec smiled at him, moving and resting his hand on the back of Magnus' neck.

Alec smiled. He slowly moved over, wanting to kiss him on the lips once again. Magnus met him halfway, kissing him sweetly. Alec smiled into the kiss. _Holy fuck, he's a good kisser_ , Magnus thought to himself.

 _Those other bastards don't know what they're missing out on,_ Alec thought. _Magnus Bane deserves the world. And I'm going to give him what you couldn't._

They were forced apart when the vehicle hit a bump. They pulled back, but chuckled at such a small moment that brought them apart. They smiled once they get over the initial shock. Alec licked his lips, leaning down against the pillows. In the silence, Magnus did the same. Laying down against his chest. Their fingers remained intertwined the entire time. Alec slowly raised his hand, running it along Magnus' back. They said that Baltimore is the city that reads and bleeds. Both happened on the trip. But Magnus and Alec couldn't help but consider it the city of falling in love.


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clary and Jace meet up.
> 
> Raphael tries to warn Alec of Azazel's impending attack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy May my loves! 🏵🌼🌻 (from the inside of my house 😑😷)
> 
> Fun Fact: Every Chapter from 26 and over I wrote during the quarantine. So yeah...

Jace tapped his finger nervously against the table, finding it the only thing to calm his nerves apart from looking down at his cell. He hadn't expected for Clary to text him. And not only that, but he hadn't expected himself to instigate. At first, when she texted him, he told himself to listen to his brother's advice. Stay away from her. Forget about her, at least until this whole crime family drama was done with. But then again, he had never seen or met a woman more beautiful than she. And he wanted to give himself the chance of something more. Of being with a woman and maybe even falling in love. The stuff that normal mundanes had. So she agreed to meet him in the restaurant that he had suggested.

He hoped that this wasn't a trap set by Morgenstern or his son to kidnap him in revenge for Magnus. And he really hoped that Alec didn't just all of a sudden return from his Baltimore trip and wanted dinner here. He inhaled, sipping his brandy. This better be real.

He heard the door to the place open and it's decoratibe bell jingle in response. He looked up, a bit too fast then he would ever admit. His heart started beating faster as he was expecting the worst to happen. But then his heart started hammering for a different reason. Clary had actually come. She was here. He slowly rose up from his seat, adjusting the blazer that he was wearing. She looked radiant. Even more beautiful then when he had seen her in the coffee shop. Her bright red dress fit her form perfectly and the golden jewelry made her pop out. She looked like a goddess. Jace smiled, slowly walking over to her. He nervously chuckled. "C-Clary. Hey." he called.

"Hey." she called with a smile. "Nice place."

"I'm very glad that you like it." he said, taking her hand. "Come. Let's sit."

Clary nodded, sitting down across from him. "Sorry for calling on you so forwardly." she said. "I swear that I'm not this easy or this forward."

"I don't mind. If I am being honest with you, I was having a hard time texting or calling you." Jace said, rubbing the back of his neck. "You look beautiful tonight."

"Thank you." she said with a smile. "And you look quite handsome."

Jace grinned, a hint of blush forming on his cheeks. "So, how about we start with you? Yeah? How are you doing?"

Clary frowned, rubbing her arm. "Actually... not so good."

Jace frowned, seeing the sad expression on her face. He moved over and placed his hand gently on top of hers. "What is it? Are you alright?"

"No. I'm not."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I was actually hoping that you could help me."

"Help you? I can try. What is it?"

Clary sighed. "Look, I don't... I feel uncomfortable talking about this here. In public."

"Oh! Of course. How about we just go to my car?" he asked. Clary bit her lip. "I won't do anything do you. I promise. I just want to help."

Clary inhaled and nodded. They got up from their seats and walked out of the place. Clary pulled her shawl closer against her shoulders as Jace motioned towards his car. He opened it up for her and welcomed her inside. Clary sat down and sighed. Jace came in right after. He kept the light on in the car and the heat as he turned to her. "Go on." he said. "Whatever I can do to help, I'll do. Tell me."

Clary inhaled. "I know that I'm not supposed to know. But... I know who you really are. I know that you work for Lightwood."

Jace raised his brow. He inhaled though, looking forward. "Should have known this was a trick." he growled.

"It's not! No! I don't work for my father." she said.

"You don't?"

"No. I'm not here for him. I'm here for something else."

"And what is that? You're here for me?"

"You're just an added bonus." she said with a small smile. Jace blushed, but didn't smile back. "Look. My friend was kidnapped a while ago. Maybe a full month or two now. And I just learned that it was Lightwood that did it."

Jace inhaled. "You know Magnus?"

"He's my best friend. I've known him all of my life. We've kinda been kept in the dark about this life together." she said. "I knew that something didn't add up when he left all of a sudden. But then I found out that there's a lot more to him just getting kidnapped." she said. "My father is planning something."

"And how do I know that this isn't a part of his plan?" Jace asked, kissing his teeth. "That you are trying to subdue and seduce me for Valentine's own will."

"He's been trying to keep me isolated inside of his apartment. I left just to reach you." she said to him.

Jace sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Look-"

"He's teaming up with Magnus' father." she cut him off.

"Wait... what?"

"Him, my brother and Magnus' father. They've come together. They told me what they are planning. But... it's not fully true."

"What do you mean by that?"

"They told me that they were planning to rescue Magnus and get revenge on Lightwood, but my father is planning something else. Something horrible that he isn't telling me. Or maybe my brother as well.. And I need to at least warn Magnus and Lightwood what is going to happen."

"I'm sure that Ale-uh... Lightwood, can handle himself. He's pretty badass."

"But it's not just them. Asmodeus has hired some assassin to go to Lightwood's manor."

"No one knows where is manor is."

"This guy does."

Jace rubbed his lips together in thought. "Do you know the assassin's name?"

"Azazel." she said.

Jace cursed. "Of course he knows."

"Who is he?"

"He used to work with us. That's how he knows. He used to work for my father. He was one of his head bodyguards. But I don't get it. You said that Asmodeus hired this guy? What would this have to do with your father then?"

"He's planning something else. And it has to do with Magnus. I don't know for sure what it is, but I want to find out. And I want to help you. But warning Lightwood first is the right thing to do."

Jace licked his lips, starting to pat down for his keys. "Do you know when he is going to attack the manor?"

"No. But warning him now rather than later can help him prepare." Clary said to him, biting her nails.

Jace nodded, finding his keys and starting the car. "I really hope that I'm not fucking myself over here." he whispered to himself while looking at the car's rear view mirror. "Alright. Let's go, I can take you to him."

Clary nodded. "Hold on though. Just... just one second, okay?"

Jace quirked up an eyebrow, but nodded at her. Clary moved over, coming out of the car and waving out in the distance. He raised his eyebrows, looking over to see where she was waving. He unconsciously went over to grip his gun, but he didn't even need it when he saw who it was. He could kill him with his fists. Clary turned to Jace. "Jace, wait-"

"You motherfucker!" he called, jumping out and slamming the door shut.

"Let's not make a scene here, I'm here to help!" Raphael yelled back, keeping his fists held out in front of him.

"Make scene? Oh I'll make a scene! I fucking crime scene!" he yelled back.

"Wait, wait, please!" Clary called out to the two of them, standing in between the two men. Even in heels, she was shorter than them. She came up to Raphael's chin and to Jace's collarbone. "Look, we shouldn't do this! Listen to me and trust me! He's here to help!"

"Help how? You think that Lightwood didn't tell me what you fucking did?!" he snapped.

"I know I fucked up, there's no need to remind me Herondale. I'm here to make it right! The only reason that Clary knows about Azazel is because I told her. I was there. I spied on them! Okay?!" he yelled back.

Jace snarled at him. "And I should trust you why?"

"You don't need to trust me. Okay? I am here to stop something terrible from happening." Raphael said.

"Please Jace. He really wants to make things right." Clary called, moving to touch him. But she moved away, not knowing if she should.

Jace looked over at her. He didn't like her looking so worried. A beautiful face like hers deserved to be happy all the damn time. He sighed. He rubbed her should gently before turning to Raphael. "I can't promise that he'll listen or trust you. Because I don't either." he said. "He might just listen to you Clary... since you're Magnus' friend."

Clary smiled. "Thank you Jace."

Raphael nodded. " _Gracias_."

" _De nada_ motherfucker." he said. "Let's go. It's a long drive."

* * *

It was quite late when Alec returned back to the manor. The smell of the woods was something calming to him whenever he returned from his long trips for the cabal. He smiled, seeing his large home come back into view. Alec looked down at where Magnus was. He was snoring contently in his arms. His nose was twitching adorably. Just like a kitten. _I told ya_ , Alec thought with a grin. Alec slowly sat up, but he cursed at himself. He didn't want to wake him up. It had taken him awhile to fall asleep in the first place. Alec slowly moved over, pulling Magnus over his shoulder, not wanting to wake him up by having him feel him moving into a bridal carry.

He held him gently, picked up the book and his wheelchair and walked out of the RV. Slowly he moved over towards the front door. Alec barely made it up a step when he heard another car slowly approaching. He turned over, confused. He didn't know that anyone had left the manor. He saw a dark green car slowly approach. He huffed. Jace. Maybe he went over to a club. He hoped that he wasn't drunk. He hated drunk drivers. Jace slowly pulled out of the car. "Alec." he called.

"Can you give me a second Jace?" he asked. "I need to take Magnus to bed."

"This really can't wait." he called back.

Alec raised his eyebrow. He moved Magnus off of his shoulder and slowly into a bridal carry as he opened his wheelchair. Magnus hummed, coming awake as Alec lightly shook him. He looked up. "Alexander? Are we home?" he called.

Alec couldn't help but smile as he heard Magnus call his manor his home. "Sorry. I just-"

Magnus turned over in the middle of his talking, hearing a car door open up. He turned over. His eyes widened, seeing who it was. Tears filled his eyes. "C-Clary?" he called.

Clary smiled widely, wiping away her tears. She was so afraid that something had happened to Magnus. That she might have never seen him again. She sprinted towards him, not caring that she was still in high heels. "Mags!"

She came down onto her knees, falling down and hugging him. Magnus hugged her back. "Oh my! Biscuit!" he cried. "Biscuit, I'm so happy to see you! Oh my darling girl!"

Alec looked down. He couldn't help but smile. Magnus looked so happy to see this girl. But he felt something in her heart. Had she come to take him away? A selfish part of him didn't want Magnus to leave him. He wanted Magnus to stay with him here in the manor. Where he could make him happy. Alec turned over to Jace. "Who is this?" he asked.

"This is Clary." Jace said to him.

"The same Clary that you told me about?" he asked.

Clary looked up from her spot on Magnus arms. She rubbed his cheek before looking up at him. She sniffed, wiping off her dripping makeup. "I'm that Clary, yes." she said.

"Alexander, this is my friend." Magnus asked. "She's been my friend for years. She's no threat to me or you."

Alec nodded. He trusted Magnus.

"I'm here to warn you about something." she said to him.

"Warn me? Warn me about what? I thought that you weren't apart of this life?" Alec asked.

"I wasn't. I'm not. I... I... it's not me." she said.

"It's Morgenstern."

Alec looked up. He saw someone else come out from the car. Magnus eyes widened, seeing who it was as well. "R-Raphael..." he shivered.

Clary hugged him tighter. Raphael slowly moved out of the car. He sighed. Alec growled, moving over towards him. Jace had to grab him, pulling him away so that he didn't attack Raphael and probably kill him. "Wait!" he called to him. "Hang on Al."

"Don't tell me to hang on!" he snapped, pulling away and pointing at him. "I warned you about coming here!"

"Please, just listen to me." he called.

"He's here to help." Clary added.

"Help? Clary he's lied to me all my life." Magnus added. "Look... you might not mind, but he's worked for my father! My absentee father! He burned a bridge when thinking of doing it!"

"I understand that. But he's trying to make things right." Clary said. "You don't know the full story."

"I don't have to listen to him after what he's done. I'm sorry biscuit, but I'm not looking or listening to him." he said back.

"You don't have to trust me. You don't even have to... to like me or speak to me again. But you're in danger. All of you are." he said.

Alec moved over, taking him by the back of the neck and slamming him down on his knees. Raphael screamed out in pain. "I warned you of staying away from him!"

"Alec, wait! Let him explain!" Jace called.

"It's Azazel." Clary called out, knowing that he wouldn't be able to get the word out.

Alec slowly turned over to her. "What?" he said, his lips curling into a sneer.

"A man named Azazel." Clary said. "He's... he's like an assassin I think. I-I don't really know I-"

Magnus rubbed his friend's knuckles to comfort her. Alec looked over at Jace. The two just looked at each other for a moment before nodding in agreement. Alec looked down at Raphael. He yanked him back up and wretched one of his wrists behind him. He cried out. "Come on." he called out. He marched him towards the door. Jace gave an apologetic look at Magnus and Clary before moving over to follow Alec inside the manor.

Magnus turned over to Clary, not bothering to meet Raphael's eyes. Even though he was trying to meet his. Magnus took her hands and smiled. "Oh biscuit." he called.

"I was so worried about you." she said. "I thought that something bad happened to you."

"In a way, it kinda did."

"Oh my fucking God! Your ankle! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I'm fine. It's almost healed. I'll be alright. I'm fine."

Clary smiled at him. She moved over and hugged him again. "I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too my dear."

* * *

Magnus huffed, looking over at Raphael. He didn't want to look at him. He really couldn't help but sympathize. "Alexander." he called. "Was it really necessary for you to tie him up like that?"

Alec looked over at Raphael from his spot sitting on his desk. He shrugged to himself. Raphael deserved it. He wouldn't be going anywhere tied as much as he was on that chair and with the gag, he didn't have to hear him speak at all. Alec looked at Magnus. "I don't want to have to listen to him." he said.

"Agreed." Magnus couldn't help but whisper. "But that rope work is just cruel."

"Please." Jace huffed. "Alec's tied way worse."

"Besides, Clary can tell me enough." Alec said, looking over at her. She was shivering. "Don't be scared red. I'm not going to hurt you."

"He won't hurt innocents." Magnus added, taking her hand to comfort her. "Trust me. Alec will listen to you."

Clary inhaled. She looked over at Raphael. He wasn't struggling in his bonds. Even though there was basically miles of rope around his body. He stayed still and he stayed silent. She exhaled. "I'm sorry but... I really don't know much." she said.

"Then tell me what you do know. About Azazel. About Morgenstern." Alec sad.

"What is this bastard planning?" Jace sneered.

"I am not entirely sure. Raphael has been the one spying on them." Clary asked.

"Why?" Magnus asked, looking over at him.

Raphael didn't even grunt into his gag. He sighed and looked down. Magnus bit his lip, turning away. Alec turned over to Jace, giving him a nod. He slowly moved over to behind Raphael's chair. He slowly peeled off the layers of microfoam tape before yanking out the wad of packing. Raphael coughed out. "I did it because Morgenstern is planning something sinister. He may have teamed up with his son and your father, but he's not telling them something. He wants something."

"I know what he wants." Alec stated. "He wants my spot as the head cabal in New York."

"No, it's not just that. He might want that, but there's something else that being hidden within his plan." Raphael called out.

"But who hired Azazel?" Magnus asked, looking from Raphael to Clary.

Clary sighed. Raphael answered. He was willing to take the blame. "Asmodeus did."

Magnus scoffed. "Of course you would know then. You're his right hand."

"I wasn't asked to be there. I wasn't supposed to know. I followed and spied on him when they met with Azazel. To this day, he does not want me to know about Azazel." Raphael explained. "Look I did it-"

"I don't care why you did it! I don't give a shit!" Alec snapped. Jace instantly slapped his hand over his mouth, feeling the anger rise in his brother and boss. Alec rolled his eyes at him. "Shut your mouth! Jace, gag, now!"

"Please don't be so hard on him." Clary called. "He's the reason that I even know about Azazel."

"Who is Azazel?" Magnus asked, looking at Alec.

"Azazel used to work for my family." he said. "He used to be apart of a giant crime family back in the late 80's. His family was killed in a gang war. So he started to work for my father. They're around the same age. He was a good hit man. Became his bodyguard. He left suddenly from my guild."

"Why would he take a job from someone like Magnus' father?" Jace asked.

Raphael cried out this in muffled protest. Alec looked down at him. "What?!"

Jace removed his hand. "Look... Magnus, I know that you don't trust me. But he's coming here for you!"

Magnus stilled. He gripped the armrests of his wheelchair. "Azazel has come here for me? To kill me?"

"No." Raphael said, shaking his head. "To take you."

"I won't let that happen." Alec called in. "Trust me. He won't hurt you."

"Azazel is actually here for you and Magnus." Raphael said.

Alec chuckled. "He might be good. But not that good to kidnap or kill me. And I won't let him lay a hand on Magnus."

"Maybe if he was paid enough." Jace said. "I'm sorry Al, but he's been around a long time. And if he's managed to lay low all this time-"

"Who knows what he's capable of." Clary finished.

The two met eyes.

Alec intertwined his fingers together and leaned his elbows against his desk. "One, if you two don't end up dating when this is done I am going to stab you with a shovel."

Jace and Clary both blushed the same shade of red. "Alexander!" Magnus called.

"And second, how can I believe you? What if Asmodeus told you to come and warn me?" Alec said.

"He didn't! I swear!" he called, trying to lean up. But his chest and back was securely tied to the chair. "I did this for Magnus! I've done all of this for Magnus!"

Alec looked over at Magnus. Magnus was looking away from him. He didn't want to believe it. He didn't want to listen to it. That Raphael actually cared. He didn't know what to believe. He has been lied to for so long.. Alec got up. "How long do you think we have to prepare?" he asked.

Raphael opened his mouth, but all of the lights suddenly turned off. Leaving the four in a surrounding and startling pitch black. Magnus jumped in the darkness, rolling to the back of the wall. Clary let out a scared shriek. Alec moved into his desk drawer and yanked out a gun. He held it out.

"Not enough..." Magnus whispered out.

A battle was about to begin.


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azazel and Jonathan have infiltrated Lightwood Manor. Everyone inside is in danger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ever seen the movie Don't Breathe? Or the movie The Green Room? They are horror movies. I'm doing something like that but not that scary. Total darkness mixed with total silence.
> 
> Perfect.

Alec got up. "How long do you think we have to prepare?" he asked.

Raphael opened his mouth, but all of the lights suddenly turned off. Leaving the four in a surrounding and startling pitch black. Magnus jumped in the darkness, rolling to the back of the wall. Clary let out a scared shriek. Alec moved into his desk drawer and yanked out a gun. He held it out.

"Not enough..." Magnus whispered out.

Alec let out an angry growl, walking away from his desk and picking up the phone that rested on his desk for moments like this. He dialed a number as fast as possible, praying and hoping to get a hold of one of his guards around the manor. He cursed, when he pressed the call button and his phone told him that he could only make emergency calls. He turned over to them. "There's no service." he said.

"How the hell is there no service?" Clary asked, hugging herself.

"We're in the middle of the woods. All the service I have is from what I have brought into the manor. And everything is shut down." Alec said. He rushed over towards the window next to his glass stained one. Trying to get as clear a view as possible. All of the cars were still there. He tried to look more down, but he couldn't with the wall coming in to begin and block his vision. He turned back over towards the desk. He slammed a button down underneath. A red light shone through the room that had become pitch black with darkness. Magnus jumped in his chair, at first shocked by the light as he was expecting some kind of death or pain to come towards. He turned over, seeing a metal wall come down against the windows were Alec was standing.

"Alexander." he called. "What's happening?"

"I had to put the place on lockdown." he said. "He's in the building. Him and whoever the else that Valentine sent with him. I'm not going to let him escape until I handle him myself."

"We need to get to Isabelle and mom." Jace said, looking at him with a mix of anger and worry.

Alec inhaled, coming to that realization that his sister and mother were sleeping. That they could be in grave danger right now. "We have to hurry. You know how Azazel is. If he gets a hand on them, I'll rip his damn arms off."

Alec and Jace hurried over towards the door. Magnus quickly rolled himself towards Alec. "Alexander!" he called, taking him by the hand and yanking him back. Alec stopped and turned over to him.

"Mags."

"What can I do to help?"

Alec shook his head. "Magnus, no. You stay in here."

"No! No. I can't just sit here when you're putting your life on the line." Magnus called to him. "Please. Please..."

"He is after you Magnus! Not just me, he's after you and I. Okay? You'll be safe here away from him. I can take him. You can't, you're indisposed right now"

"He can eventually find me in here if he is as good as you say."

"He won't if I can keep him on his toes. I can get him away and kill him. You're stuck in a wheelchair. You'd be wheeling around with a target on you. And if anything should happen to you in anyway... If he gets to you and I fail you."

Magnus couldn't help but blush. Even now in a desperate and crazy situation like this, he was protective and caring. Magnus gripped his hand tighter. "No, no, no, please! Alexander don't go out there! Please! I can help you. I-"

"You want to help me?" Alec asked. Magnus nodded at him vigorously. Alec cupped his cheeks and pressed a sweet kiss against his lips. Clary and Jace stepped back, raising their eyebrows. They turned away, giving them privacy. Alec poured all that he could give into that kiss. The two slowly pulled apart, Alec rubbing his cheek in comfort. "You stay here. And you stay safe. That is what you can do. You'll keep me sane while I'm running out there. Please Mags."

Magnus shook his head. "How will I know if you're okay? How will I know if-"

"Magnus, you just need to trust me. Alright? Trust me." Alec called.

Magnus sighed, moving forward and pressing his forehead to Alec's. "If you're not back here in an hour, I will break this door down."

"Good luck with that kitten." he said, pressing one last kiss to his lips. He got up, calling over to Jace. "Come on."

Jace turned over to Clary. He took her hand and pressed a kiss against her palm. "Please do the same... alright? Stay safe."

"I will. But... does that mean you forgive me?" she whispered back.

"There was nothing to forgive to begin with." he said back, rubbing soothing circles against her knuckles.

Alec and Jace met eyes, slowly walking to the front door. They turned to Clary and Magnus one last time before nodding. Alec slammed the door, pressing a button on the security system on the wall beside it. Slowly, a metal wall like the one that covered the windows came down on the door. Covering it. Sealing them inside. Protecting them. Alec pressed a hand to the door, exhaling. "Stay safe baby." he whispered, before turning and running with Jace.

Magnus let out an exhale, the worry starting to come all over him. He shook violently and tears started to fill his eyes. "Magnus, it's okay. We're safe in here." Clary said to him, rushing over and rubbing his back to try and calm down.

"No, I'm not safe in here!" Magnus called. "If that Azazel guy is after me, he'll try and lure me out. I can't let Jace and Alec get hurt because of me."

"Magnus-" Clary called, but Raphael cut her off.

"No, he's right." Raphael called from his spot. Still tightly bound to the chair. "Azazel's mission is Magnus and Magnus first. Alec comes after. If he can't get to Alec, he will take Magnus without hesitation. We need to move Magnus."

"I physically can't move, I'm in a wheelchair." Magnus snapped, not bothering to sensor his quips.

Raphael couldn't help but smile. "Look, I know that this might be dumb, but getting you out of this office is our best bet. I know for a fact that Lightwood has a safe or panic room here. Untie me, I can help get us out of here."

"How? The entire house is on lock down." Clary stated.

Magnus bit his lip. Raphael was aware of how these things worked. Maybe... he could help. He had already desperately tried to prove that he was committed to Magnus and only Magnus. This was his chance to prove it more. He slowly wheeled over to Alec's desk. He searched through the drawers, pushing away file after file before he pulled out a small pocket knife. _Because of course Alexander has these in his desk_ , he thought. _He probably has more so fuck me I guess._

He hurried back over to Raphael and started to saw at the ropes around his wrists, elbows and torso. "How are you going to get us out of here?" he asked.

"This is Alec's office." Raphael said, letting out a huge sigh or relief when he was freed from one of his many rope restraints. "All cabal offices have an escape method should something like this happen." he stated.

"How convenient." Clary quirked.

Raphael stood up as soon as all of his ropes were cut off. He rubbed some circulation back into his wrists and looked around the room. He ran over to one of the walls, yanking off one of the paintings. Some of them were of the Lightfoot family. But one was out of order. And that was the one of a pink flower. Alec hated pink. Why would this be here? It was a good observation. What was covered by the painting was a small door. Magnus raised his eyebrow. He wheeled over, pulling the door open and seeing a small pathway into the next room. "But Alec closed down all the doors, did he not?"

"No." Raphael said. "He had the ability to close the door to his office from the outside. Every other door in the manor is open."

Magnus smiled, looking over at Raphael. "Nice work." he gasped.

Raphael nodded back at him with a smile. "How bad is the ankle?" he asked.

"It's healing, but I'm not allowed to move it much or it'll get worse. The last time I put too much pressure on it, it almost shattered." Magnus explained.

Raphael nodded. He turned over to Clary. "You should take off your shoes." he said to her. He then turned over to Magnus. "I'll help you. I'll go in first okay?"

Magnus nodded. Slowly, Raphael jumped through and shimmed inside and through the small door. Magnus watched him, awaiting his signal. When his feet met the ground, Raphael nodded at him. Magnus swallowed the rising bile in his throat. He turned over to Clary. "Help me? Please." he whispered.

Clary nodded, throwing her shoes aside. She took Magnus lightly by the arm and slowly helped him rise up from the chair. He struggled to stay balanced on his good foot as Clary held him. They both took a hold of the wheelchair and slid it through first. Raphael caught it and rested it down against the floor. Clary helped Magnus jump up into the doorway. Slowly, he slid through on his butt and with his arm. Raphael caught him when he found the other side and sat him back down into his wheelchair. Raphael helped Clary through next and then looked through the door. He sighed. He held up his hand, signaling them to stay put.

He jumped through the door and came back in a split second. This time, two guns in his hands. Clary stilled, backing up against the wall. "Shit." she cried.

"Calm down." he said to her, placing one in his waistband. He clicked off the safety and moved to the door. "Clary, listen to me. You need to wheel Magnus around. Both of you stay behind me."

They nodded in unison. Raphael opened the door and they slowly moved out. Magnus and Clary both let out a collective gasp looking over at Alec's door. There was two bodies laying there. Two of Alec's guards. One of them had his throat slit and the other was gripping her side in pain. Magnus wheeled over towards her. "Are you alright?" he asked.

She hissed, but nodded. Raphael moved over. "Who did this?" he asked her.

"There was men... men with circle tattoos..." she said back.

Magnus turned over to Raphael slowly. "Did he say that he was bringing people with him?"

"I'm not sure." Raphael said. "He said that he didn't need men when he spoke."

"Maybe he changed his mind." Clary added.

"Which means that Alec might be walking right into them." Magnus said, slowly helping her stand. He pulled off her coat and pressed it to her wound. "Raphael, help me move her to the closet. We need to go and find Alexander."

* * *

When the lights turned off, Izzy had been asleep. So the darkness didn't bother her. She kept blissfully dreaming. But when the red lights blared, it shone through her eyes. Waking her instantly. She sat up, in confusion. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, sitting up and looking around her. The red lights only meant one thing. She pulled herself out from her bed, turning over to her window. It was closed down, hidden by a metal wall. She cursed. Izzy quickly pulled on a robe and moved over to her door. She pressed her hand to the handle, but took a step back. Alec always warned her to stay where she was should something happen like this. So that he or some of his guards could find her should any kind of danger come after her, her brothers or her mom. She inhaled. Alec always talked about bringing her to their safe room though. She thought about maybe going herself. Izzy turned over at her. She trusted her brother more than anything.

She needed to trust him in this time of crisis that he always warned about. She moved back to her bed, moving underneath of it's mattress. Izzy yanked out a small pistol that her brother gave her for her seventeenth birthday. She checked the barrel, making sure that all the bullets were still inside. She pressed the gun against her chest before moving underneath of her bed. She stayed underneath of the bed, gripping the gun as she patiently waited. Alec was going to be here soon to get her out of here. 

Izzy stayed still under the bed, waiting for her brother. It felt like hours under there. She bit her lip, slowly moving out from underneath after twenty minutes of waiting. Her anxiety got a hold of her. What if something had happened to Alec? What if the threat had gotten to him first? She gripped the pistol tightly as she opened her bedroom door and left. Her brother could be in serious danger.. She wanted to do anything other than sit around. She gripped the gun tighter as she moved out into the hall. The red lights were blaring there too. It was scary. But finding her brother was the main priority now. She moved down the hall, looking for a familiar dark silhouette that would be her big brother. She moved down the corner, seeing someone there. At first, she thought that it was Alec.

But it wasn't.

Even without her contacts in, she saw a silver circle on his bottom pant pocket. Her breath hitched as she slowly begun moving back. As soon as she turned over to run, two men in the similar black clothes grabbed her from behind. She screamed out as they took her wrists. The man that was in front of her moved over and slapped his disgusting hand over her mouth. Izzy bit down against the skin. The moron didn't wear gloves. He screamed out, pushing himself back. Izzy pulled her knees up and kicked the men holding her wrists and elbows. The groaned, one of them letting go. The other kept a tight hold. Izzy raised her free right arm and slammed her hand into his neck. The man fell down onto the ground. Izzy quickly moved over to pick up her pistol. The man behind her moved underneath her legs and reached for it as well. 

Izzy chuckled. He was a moron. She flipped herself forward before kicking him in the face. She heard a crack in his nose. _That's what he gets_ , she quipped to herself.

The man tried to get up and retaliate, just as the other stood up to attack. She licked her lips, looking at them. Quickly, her eyes wandered up at the wall. She smiled, seeing a hanging lamp above her. She jumped up onto it, hanging for a second before she curved over. She gripped the lamp with her legs instead. Her hands moved down. She punched the man with the back pocket circle in the face before moving to the other one. As she swung, she took a hold of his face and dug her thumbs deep into both of his eyes. Nails and all. He screamed in pain. Izzy pulled herself off of the lamp, digging her nails deeper into the eye socket. Seeing the blood start to pool out of his eyes. He was screaming in agony. She yelled in triumph as she yanked out her bloody thumbs. She slowly picked up her pistol from on the floor, turning over to the man that was advancing from the side.

She released a shot right into his throat. The blood started to pour out of his neck almost like a waterfall before he fell to the floor dead. She spun the gun, pointing it down at the other man and shooting him in the chest. Right near the heart. Izzy exhaled, running her four clean fingers through her hair. She turned over, then hearing someone else run down the hall. She raised her pistol, fearing it was another attacker. But she let out an exhale, seeing that it was someone she knew. "Mama." she called, rushing over to him.

"What's happening? I saw the lights and I heard commotion." Maryse called, looking down and seeing the three dead men. "Did you...?"

"What?" she asked. "They attacked me first."

Maryse rolled her eyes, pulling her daughter in close. She rubbed her back in comfort. "Where are your brothers?"

"I don't know." she said. "We need to find them. Something's going on. Look at their clothes."

Maryse looked down at their black jackets. Resting on one's tank top was a small silver circle. She inhaled. "Morgenstern." she said.

"They're probably after Alec." she said.

"Come on then." her mother called. "You lead the way. Keep the gun forward."

* * *

Alec inhaled as he turned the corner. He looked down for something or someone. He turned over to Jace. "You need to go ahead of me." he whispered.

"I'm sorry, what the fat fuck are you talking about?" he said back to him.

"I need you to go and find ma and Izzy." Alec explained. "Let me take care of Azazel and whomever else. Get them to the safe room."

"What about Magnus?" Jace asked.

"He's safe inside of the office. I can get to him when this is all over." Alec said. "Go and find our baby sister... please."

Jace inhaled. But he nodded. "Fine. Stay safe."

"I'm Alec Lightwood bitch, what you think is gonna happen." Alec joked with a small chuckle. 

Jace saluted him and ran back down the hall they went through. Alec moved some hair out of his face, walking slowly down the steps. He looked around. He knew that someone was in here. He could feel it. He made it halfway down the steps, as he noticed something. Something was shining in the corner that was more often than not empty. He jumped over the railing and aimed his gun. He shot at the man. The man shot back. Alec pushed his body back down onto the ground. He somersaulted over and shot towards the legs. His gun sputtered. Out of bullets. _Fucking really?!_

The other man shot at Alec, seeing his struggle. Alec jumped back as fast as possible, pushing a small decorative table onto the ground and on it's side. All of it's contents falling off. The bullets flew through, but the wood was thick enough to block something. Alec picked up the table and ran towards the man, ramming into him. He heard a grunt as his intruder fell down onto his back. Alec threw the table back, reaching for one of his extra clips. He picked one up, but his gun had fallen and was across the room. Where the table used to be. He rushed to try and grab it, but the man grabbed his ankle. He yanked Alec down onto his stomach. Alec hissed, moving over and trying to kick the man in the face. He finally saw his face. He hissed. "Azazel."

"Hello again Alec." he greeted. "How are you these days?"

"Doing fine." Alec said, kicking him in the face. Azazel let go of him. Alec stood up. Not needing his gun anymore. He held up his fists. "And you? How have you been?"

"I am doing quite well actually." Azazel said with a smile as he advanced. He moved to try and punch him in the face.

Alec gripped him by the wrist. He punched Azazel in the stomach before pulling him by the waist. He held him up in the air before slamming him down into the ground. He tried to stomp down onto his face, but Azazel moved his head over. He gripped Alec's ankle tightly. His hand moved over, picking up a shard of a broken vase, that was on the table, and stabbed it deep into the skin near his thigh. Alec bit his lip in pain, but wasn't going to give this man the satisfaction of seeing that he had gotten a hit in. Alec pressed his boot against his face, yanking his ankle free. Once it was free he moved over towards his gun. Quickly, he changed the clip and shot towards him. Azazel was fast. He slid away from each bullet that Alec shot at him. He managed to get one into his shoulder.

He screamed out in frustration. He kicked out, managing to hit Azazel right in the shoulder where he was shot. Azazel chuckled, gripping the gun by it's front barrel. Gripping it tightly to try and move the bullets away from. Alec chuckled. He yanked the gun back, pulling it apart into two pieces. Just as Asmodeus had designed. He grabbed a hold of the knife half of the gun and swung the blade at him. The blade sliced right in the face. Going up from the bottom of his chin on the left, through his nose and right eye and eyebrow. Azazel cried out, stepping back. He held onto his cut eye in agony, before he started laughing. He dropped the other half of the gun and looked up. He launched towards Alec. Alec held his fists up in a crossed section to block the hit. But it wasn't a hit. Azazel pulled out a small block from his pocket and pressed it to Alec's neck. Alec screamed feeling the shock. Azazel smiled. "I'm always one step ahead." he said, gripping his taser tightly.

Alec's eyes rolled to the back of his head as the pain elevated and he fell down to the ground unconscious. Azazel chuckled, throwing away the taser. He looked down at him, smiling. "And you weren't even my first mission." he said. "Come out Morgensterns."

He turned over, seeing a small group of men coming forward. The taller man pulled down his balaclava, looking down at Alec. "That was fast." he said. "The bastard."

He moved his leg to try and kick him, but Azazel held him back. "Now, now, now, he wasn't your problem in the first place, remember? No. Your problem was rescuing your true love." he said. "He's somewhere inside of this huge manor. And I'm sure that Lightwood is hiding him."

Jonathan nodded, anger filling his nostrils that Magnus was a prisoner her. "Scope the damn place." he ordered. "Find him."

The men all nodded and took off in all different directions. Jonathan pulled back on his balaclava, running off. Azazel turned over towards Alec. He leaned over, looking down at the unconscious cabal leader. An evil grin curled on his lips.


	32. Chapter 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Izzy and Maryse are on the run.
> 
> Magnus, Clary and Raphael are on the run.
> 
> But what of Alec?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wrote a new story. This is one of my WIP's. It's gonna be short and for once, it's not Malec. If you like Miraculous Ladybug, you should check it out. It's called [Prostátis](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24007486).

Raphael turned the corner, looking around for anyone that might be on the opposite end of the conflict. He, Magnus and Clary hadn't seen much of anyone since they had left Alec's office. He sighed, turning over to him. "I don't see him Magnus." he said to him.

"We have been on only this floor." he said back. "We need to go down or up."

"I think that we should go down. That's where they had to of infiltrated from." Clary added.

"Thanks for backing me up." Raphael said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "Look. I know that you want to find him. But I am pretty damn sure that Alec can take care of himself. If-"

"Raph!" Clary yelled, seeing someone coming from the sides.

Raphael instantly went into battle mode, taking her and pulling her behind her. He stood right in front of her and Magnus, aiming out his gun. Magnus looked in front of him, trying to see if it was some sort of subordinate of the Morgensterns. But he recognized something similar. Long, silky black hair. Beautiful hazel eyes that matched the cabal leader he was searching for. And for some reason, bright red lipstick. "Wait, stop!" he called out, wheeling front of his friend and pushing the gun down. "Isabelle?"

"Magnus?" she called back. She over into few. "Oh Magnus! You're safe!"

"Isabelle!" Magnus called, hugging her back. He turned over and saw Maryse slowly approach them as well. "Maryse! You're alright too!"

"I am just fine dear." she called. "How are you? Are you okay?"

"I am fine." he called. He turned over to Raphael and Clary. "Oh. This is my friend Clary and... and Raphael."

Izzy looked up and smiled. "Hey." she said. "I wish we could have met under better circumstances."

"Same." Clary said.

"I love that dress."

"Thank you! I love that lipstick. Is that Fenty Beauty in Uncensored?"

"Why yes? How did you know?"

"I love all lipstick."

" I see that you and I are going to be great friends."

Maryse cleared her throat. "No offense love and sorry to intrude."

"But can we finish your lipstick conversation when we're all safe." Raphael added.

"Why did you put on lipstick anyways?" Maryse and Magnus muttered in unison.

"Where is Alec?" Magnus asked the two.

"We don't know." Maryse answered.

"He said that he went looking for you." Clary said.

"What if something terrible happened to him?" Magnus said, biting his nails.

"No, no, no. Don't worry." Izzy called. "This is my brother. He's going to be fine. He's going to get himself and everyone out this situation."

"What would be Alec's plan once he found you?" Raphael asked.

"We have a safe room on the top floor. No one else knows about it except for the cabal's head and his family members." Maryse explained. "That's where we need to go."

"No, that's where _you_ need to go." Magnus said to them. "I need to get to Alexander."

"Magnus, no." Raphael called. "It's too dangerous."

"Ryland is right." Izzy said.

"It's Raphael."

"Oh sorry."

"You need to stay with us. We can take you to the safe room." Maryse said. "That's where Alec will be able to meet us."

"Plus, you're too vulnerable and noticeable in the wheelchair." Clary said.

"Do not use this wheelchair as an excuse. I am not useless nor am I a damsel that needs protecting. I am perfectly capable of handling myself." Magnus snapped back. Now he was getting frustrated.

"No one said that you were helpless." Raphael said. "But you-"

"Need to find and help Alexander! From what you have told me, this Azazel guy is after me. Both Alexander and Jace are risking their lives for me." Magnus stated. "I am going after them!"

"No. You are not." Raphael said.

"Do not tell me what to do now Raphael." Magnus said back, pointing his finger at him.

"Everyone just needs to take a breather." Izzy added.

"And maybe we can discuss on our way to safety." Clary said, shrugging her shoulders.

"Raphael Santiago." Magnus continued. "I am going after Alexander."

Raphael huffed. He leaned over and took a hold of his handlebars. Magnus scrunched his nose in anger and frustration. He was not going to just let him take him away to safety when he could be the changing factor in Alexander living or dying. He looked over, seeing the other gun in the waistband of his pants. He moved over, snatching it from him. He clicked off the safety as fast as he could and pressed it to Raphael's forehead.

He stilled, feeling the barrel against his skin. Clary and Izzy both stared in complete and utter shock. Maryse moved forward, her hand reaching out in hopes to calm the two down. "Magnus." she called.

"Raphael..." Magnus snapped. "Get the hell off of my chair."

"Magnus put the gun down." he said back.

"Get off."

"Magnus."

"Magnus, just lower the gun." Izzy tried her best to coax. She then turned over to her mother. "Mom. A little help here."

"Raphael." she called. "You need to let Magnus go."

"What?!"

"Keep your voices down." Clary added.

Maryse sighed. "Magnus should go and find Alec. Let him."

"No. Magnus is going to-"

"I can obviously take care of myself." Magnus said, pressing the gun deeper. "I need to find Alexander... or at least this Azazel guy-"

"No. Look, if you go out there just stick to finding Alec." Clary said. "Please."

"It will give us some piece of mind." Izzy added.

Magnus inhaled and nodded. "I'll be careful. I promise you." he said, pulling the gun off of Raphael's forehead. "You. You get them to the safe room."

"Magnus please..." he called. "Please be careful."

"I will. Just... just go and keep them safe. Okay?" 

Raphael nodded. He rubbed his lips together. Slowly he moved over and hugged him. Magnus stilled when he felt him hug him. He moved his arms over and hugged him back. "When we make it out of this... I want to make it up to you." he whispered. "I really am sorry."

Magnus sighed, slowly nodding his head. "I'll see you on the other side."

They pulled apart. Raphael looked down at him. He turned over to three women in front of him. "Okay come on ladies. Lead the way." he said.

Izzy pointed down towards the right hallway. Clary moved to follow them. Raphael lingered, slowly taking one last look at Magnus. He gave him a sad smile before moving over to follow them. Magnus gripped the gun in his hand, turning the wheelchair over. He slowly rolled down in the opposite direction. _Please let me find you safely Alexander_ , he thought to himself.

* * *

There was sharp pain on the right side of Alec's neck and head. It felt like he walked into a pole. A really wide pole. And his leg felt sticky and numb. He groaned slowly moving his head off of whatever hard surface it was against. He attempted to slowly move his hands up to rub his temples, but they were tightly stuck together. He forced his eyes open, huffing to try and take a look. Even though his eyes were blurry from him slowly starting to come to consciousness, he was able to see his wrists. Wretched behind his back and bound together with multiple thick layers of duct tape. Alec exhaled through his nose.

Azazel.

It was all coming back to him now.

He slowly moved his head off of the ground and looked over to where he was. He was still in the foyer. Alec turned over, trying to see where Azazel was. He was standing in front of one of the decorative mirrors. The one that his mother had impulse purchases on a trip to Michael's. Alec groaned, feeling the pain against his skin. "You fucking bastard." he huffed.

Azazel chuckled, not even looking away from the mirror. "In the life, one must always be prepared." he said. "I thought that a taser would most definitely come in handy. Especially with dealing with you Lightwood."

Alec groaned, still in slight pain. "If I knew that you were playing dirty I'd-"

"This whole life is about playing dirty Lightwood. Best get used to it." Azazel said, turning away from his reflection. "You scratched the hell out of my eye."

"Well gee. What do you want? Me to apologize to you and sing kumbaya?" Alec said.

"Your sense of humor certainly hasn't left." he said to him, slowly walking over to him and kneeling down in his face.

Alec growled and moved towards his face. "When I get out of this I am going to-"

"To what? Rip me apart? Oh please. When this all done, you aren't going to have any way of threatening me."

"You think that duct tape can hold me from ruining you? Or Bane? Or Morgenstern?"

"You've always believed that you are the head honcho of this state when in reality you are anything but. You just sit there in your desk and act like you're doing something."

"I think that my body count will contradict that."

"Which one? The dead ones or the ones you've fucked?"

Alec sneered, raising his taped up ankles and kicking him in the stomach. Azazel fell back onto his rump, making Alec laugh before he hissed in pain at the cut still there. Azazel sneered himself, sitting up and staring at him. "You really are a fighter." he said.

"I'll fight until you are dead by my hands." Alec snapped back.

Azazel hummed. He turned over, picking up the roll of tape. "I am have no idea what Morgenstern wants with you." he said. "What he sees in having you. But I follow orders first and foremost."

"And by following orders you attack and kill innocent people that have worked for me."

"Innocent? Those people are anything but innocent. The only innocent one here is Magnus."

Alec's eyes widened. He feft his heart beat start to quicken and his ears start to ring. He looked up at him, his breath coming out faster and hoarser. "W-What?"

"Magnus. You know? The man that you've been holding hostage here for a while? Ringing any bells?" Azazel said, shucking off his blazer. He slowly ripped off both of it's sleeves.

Alec opened his mouth to snap at him. As soon as he did, Azazel stuffed a sleeve into his mouth. Alec huffed and screamed in protest. Azazel chucked, taking the other sleeve and tying it right over. He tightened the knot right behind his neck. He slapped his cheek, shoving Alec back down onto his side. He huffed, grunting the entire time.

"That should hold you until I get back." he said, patting his thigh. Alec yanked his legs back and away from him. Azazel laughed, standing up. He pushed Alec onto his stomach, ignoring his screams of protests. He took a hold of the tape and taped his ankles and wrists together in a hogtie. He chuckled, standing up, looking at Alec. "You know... who would have thought that it would have been that simple to kidnap and restrain the king of all crime."

Alec cursed at him.

Azazel laughed. "I need to go find that prisoner of yours. You think that cells will be a good place to start? What do you think?"

Alec knew that Magnus wasn't there. But if he could just lure him away from his office, then he could buy himself, Magnus and his family some time and he could get out of this tape. He just needed to protect Magnus. He shook his head from side to side, grunting into the gag angrily. Azazel smiled.

"Why do people fear you?" he said, quickly running out of the foyer.

Alec smiled. _Because I'm smart dumbfuck._

Alec slowly rolled onto his arms. He inhaled, knowing that it was going to take a while. And not only that but it would hurt a bit with his still injured leg and the tape one his skin. Slowly, he pressed his feet flat against the ground. He tapped his fingers against the tape, trying to see what he would need to. Azazel didn't use much tape you hogtie him. He could snap this. Alec inhaled and slowly raised his feet up. He moved them forward and up into the air. The tape started to pull hard on his arms. He hissed, feeling the hair start to yank off of his skin and his cut irritate.

He bit down onto the blazer sleeve in his mouth as he kicked as hard as he could. The tape snapped off of his wrist restraints with an audible pop. He chuckled, looking over at his ankles. Slowly, Alec maneuvered himself onto his feet. He inhaled, bending down and bringing his wrists to the back of his thighs. He jumped. With the split second of his legs in the air, he brought his wrists forward. He smiled, seeing it work. But he felt his shoulder move out of place. Lucky he was gagged. He screamed in pain into it. But he could push it back into place later.

He sat back down and quickly tore the tape off of his ankles. He needed to get to his office. He needed to get Magnus out of there and up into the safe room. Alec went to pull off his gag, but he saw someone coming from the hall. He gave out an unsurprised laugh. Of course he sent someone to try and grab him. He turned over, seeing two mercenaries. Morgenstern mercenaries. Silver circles were the marked on both of them. He got up. Even with his wrists taped together, he could easily take these guys. The two of them met eyes. They were shocked to see the infamous Alec Lightwood taped up and gagged. But they weren't going to let him get away.

They pulled off batons that were tied against their pants. Alec rolled his eyes, clenching his fists. They both charged at him. Alec kicked one of them up in the chin when they got close. It was a hard kick. The man's bottom row of teeth connected and bit through his top lip. After the kick, he turned over, taking the other man's baton and attacking. He slammed it against his temple consecutively before swinging at the other mercenary. The hit freed his lip from his teeth, but Alec hit him again the arm. The swing brought his arm back into place. They both fell down, groaning in pain. Alec untied the ripped cloths from his mouth. "Motherfuckers." he gasped.

He pulled his wrists apart, snapping the tape free. He yanked it off and knelt down. He tore off one of their jackets and ripped the sleeve. Quickly, he wrapper it around his wound. It wasn't big, as the glass shard that cut it was only from a small vase. But it would get worse if he left it untreated. Alex tied the ripped sleeve around his leg, examining it as much as possible. One of the subordinates moaned, trying to get up again. Alex kicked him in the jaw.

He got up from the ground and ran as fast as he could up the steps. He didn't know what Azazel wanted with Magnus. And at this point, he didn't fucking care. He needed to get to Magnus and get him away from all this. He sprinted up the steps and towards his office. The metal wall was still in place on the opposite side. He smiled. He prayed that Magnus wasn't scared in there. He went to the keypad and pressed the button. The wall slowly pulled itself up from its place inside. Alec rushed in through the door, looking in.

His heart stopped. Magnus wasn't there. Neither was Clary. Or Raphael. "Fuck... fuck!" he screamed, turning around. As he turned,, he saw that the painting on the wall was gone. He pressed his hand against it. Magnus wanted to go and help him. He must have left with Raphael's help. "Magnus... no... God, no!" he screamed, sprinting over to his desk. He pulled it opened. His guns were gone.

If something had happened to Magnus because of this... because of him... he would never forgive himself. He took off as fast as possible. He ran through the halls. Magnus had to be somewhere here. He needed to be here. Somewhere. _Please whatever God is there_ , he thought. _Please let me find him. Please let me find him safe and sound._


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, okay, okay. Firstly, I know that I have not been responding to your comments recently. I'm sorry for that ya'll. I'm trying but I have a lot happening right now. And I am sorry for such a late post. It is almost 930 here in NY, and I hope that it isn't too early or late wherever you are. I had two tests to take and a lot of work from remote learning and I got into an argument with my ma. Sorry loves. I hope you enjoy regardless 😞🖤

Magnus slowly wheeled around the corner of the manor. He had just went all around the floor and he didn't manage to find or locate Alec or Jace. The entire floor and nothing. No location of either of them. He turned over towards the long staircase. He hissed. He knew that he couldn't go down. But he looked down, hearing some grunts and groans. He inhaled, slowly pulling himself off of his chair. Magnus hobbled on his ankle for a second, looking down on the banister while gripping the rail. Two men in black were laying on the ground. Blood was dripping from the mouth of one of them and the other had multiple bruises forming on his head. Magnus smiled. This was Alec's work. He knew it since he had watched him fight multiple men all at once. He sat back down onto his wheelchair.

Alec must have made his way up here. He couldn't have stayed on the lower level if that is where they had attacked him. _He must be making his way to the office_ , he thought. _That's where he thinks I am now. If he's there with Jace, then we can get out of here together_.

He spun his seat around. But bumped into something in the process. His eyes widened, knowing that it was a threat. But then he saw that it was someone he recognized. "J-Jonathan..." he gasped.

Jonathan's smile went so wide. "Magnus! Oh Magnus!" he cried, moving forward and hugging him.

Weeks. Weeks of worrying and panicking. He had searched for him for so long and to no avail. But he had finally found him. He was finally here. Magnus was going to be nothing but safe now that he was going to be in his arms. Jonathan pulled away from Magnus, pressing his hands against his cheek. He looked over at him. He seemed terrified. There were tears forming in his eyes. And as he looked down, he saw his ankle wrapped up in cast. And the wheelchair was anything but conspicuous. Magnus was worse for wear. But he was okay. He would be fine. Jonathan smiled, looking down at him. He had missed his beautiful face.

He pressed a sweet kiss against his forehead. Magnus stilled back. What the hell was Jonathan doing here? He had known that it was his and Clary's father that was another mob but... Magnus inhaled sharply. Thoughts came back to him. Thinking about the jacket that he had been wearing when they had last met. And what had happened. "You... You..." he called. "You were... you're a-"

"Oh Mags." Jonathan called. "What did he do to you? I'll kill him. I swear-"

"You're a Morgenstern." Magnus said, stopping him. Raising the gun he had. "Like a full... a full fledged Morgenstern."

"Magnus please. I know that you're a little shocked right now, there's no need to be hysterical towards me. I'm here to get you out of here." he said. "My father knows doctors-"

"Your father? That psycho?!"

"Whatever that man told you, it is not true. Lightwood is vile and untrustworthy."

"Just like you. And apparently Raphael too! You both lied to me!" Magnus yelled back.

"I did it for you and Clary." Jonathan said. "It was all so that I would never have to deal with this situation. But now that's been ruined."

"Yeah. Because of that damned jacket that you gave me! You fucking lied to me!"

"I know Mags. But I'm here now."

Magnus shook his head. He raised the gun and aimed. The bullet flew in an instant, hitting him in the chest. Jonathan cried as he fell down. Magnus gasped, fearing that he had killed him. But slowly, his body moved. Jonathan stood up,, looking down at his chest. He pulled back his vest, showing off the bullet proof vest. He sneered. Magnus started shaking visibly, like a leaf. He felt like his head was spinning and like he was going to throw up. Jonathan sighed.

"Whatever Lightwood did to you-" he said, gripping Magnus' arm. Magnus cried as he burned his skin with how he twisted it. Jonathan snatched back the gun. "We will fix."

He scooped Magnus up into his arms. Magnus scowled, kicking his good leg out. But he was much smaller than Jonathan. He gripped him tightly his skin tightly to scratch. "Jonathan, listen to me! Put me down!" he yelled.

"Lightwood can't hurt you anymore." he said to him. "I've got you know. You're safe here with me."

"Like fucking hell I am!" Magnus tried to shove himself free. "Jonathan!"

Jonathan gripped him tightly in one arm and he pressed his finger to his ear. "I've got him." he said. "Find a way to stop the lock down. Now."

Jonathan held him close to his chest and took off in a sprint. Magnus kept pushing up against his chest, trying his best to get free from his grasp. "Jonathan let me go!"

* * *

Alec sprinted past multiple halls. He hadn't found Magnus yet. Or anyone for that matter. He quickly turned down the corner. He was out of breath. He pressed his hands against his knees, leaning down and taking a minute to catch his breath. If anything happened to Magnus now, he would kill the entirety of the Morgenstern cabal. He stood up straight, looking over down the corner. After taking a second, he turned over and heard screaming. And saw red.

That was Magnus' voice.

He took off into a sprint following the cries. He turned around each corner. Looked through each hall. He slid through another corridor and he finally saw him. Magnus was pushing and screaming and protesting in the arms of a man. A man he knew. Jonathan Morgenstern. He growled, running towards him with as much speed as he could muster. He pushed Magnus out of his arms and Jonathan onto the ground, tackling him. He was shoved into a wall. Alec grabbed a hold of him, punching him in the face. Magnus slowly moved himself off of his back, looking up. He looked over. Seeing the scuffle that the two men were in. "Alexander..." he called.

Alec didn't hear him. As revenge was all that was on his mind. The only thing that he cared about it. He slammed his fist intto Jonathan's jaw, making his head slam into wall. He growled, raising his own fist. He punched Alec back in the stomach. He hunched back, but wasn't going to let that stop him. He took a hold of Jonathan's shoulders and pulled him up, throwing him against the opposite wall. His back slammed into the wall and he fell down on the ground in a heap. Alec turned over to Magnus immediately, picking him up off of the ground. He quickly took off into a sprint.

Magnus held onto him by the chest and looked him over. He was scared and probably in shock, but he had never been more happy to see this man. The hazel eyes were so comforting, even with the raging fire that was blazing behind them. Magnus exhaled, pressing his hand against the bottom of his chin. Alec turned over to him, still in a sprint. But he smiled. Seeing him. "I'm here." he said.

Magnus smiled. Their shared smile didn't last long as they were jolted forward. Magnus fell down against the ground. But Alec was launched forward. Jonathan was behind him, his arms launching into a tackle. Alec was pushed through the railing of the balcony. It broke and the two men were shoved down onto the lower level near the kitchens and dining room. Magnus gasped, slowly trying to get up. His turned over, looking at his ankle. He couldn't move it anymore. He could barely feel it. He turned over, hearing grunts of struggling. He bit his lip, crawling over towards the broken wooden railings. Alec had landed on his stomach. Jonathan was right on top of him. He growled, moving over to grab him by the shirt and pull him up. Alec groaned as he was pulled down onto his back.

Jonathan sat on his lap and moved to punch him in the face. Alec chuckled. He raised his knee, hitting him hard in the groin. Jonathan groaned, but he still got his punch in. Alec's face moved down into the side. Magnus cried out. "Jonathan!" he cried out. "Jonathan, no!"

He wasn't listening to him. He grabbed Alec by the collar, yanking him up. Alec was gripping and moving to try and get a hit. He moved his hand over and gripped him by the back of the head. He gripped his hair tightly, yanking him back and slamming his face into the ground. Small splices of wood breaking the skin. Alec got up from the ground and looked up at Magnus. Magnus was gripping the still withstanding railing bars, looking in worry. He prayed that he wasn't hurt. That he didn't have any broken bones. Alec gave him a nod. Signaling to him that everything will be okay.

He turned over, picking up a broken rail just as Jonathan got up. Alec swung at his face as if the wood was a professional baseball bat. But Jonathan retaliated. He grabbed the railing and kicked Alec in the chest. It knocked the air out of him. He moved to go down, but he wasn't going to go down alone. He hit Jonathan's side hard with the wood. He fell down on his hands and knees, clutching his side to get catch his breath quickly. Now there was blood dripping there along with on his forehead, cheeks and side. He growled as if he was an animal. Magnus had to crawl back. His growl was terrifying. Unlike Alec's, whose was protective or annoyed. Jonathan launched at Alec, moving into another tackle jump.

Alec quickly moved down onto his back, raising his legs. Jonathan landed on his boots and he pushed him back with his strong legs. Jonathan fell down onto the floor, head first. Magnus hissed. That looked like it hurt like a bitch, but that was cool as shit. Alec stood back up. "A Morgenstern in my manor. If I knew that I was going to have the honor, I would have spread out a cheese plate and some wine."

"I hate wine." Jonathan snarled back, standing up and wiping some blood off of his lip. "I'm more a beer guy myself."

"I'll remember that the next I make your acquaintance." Alec said back with him, raising his arms. "In hell."

"Trust me, you'll be going first." Jonathan said, raising his hand and pointing at Magnus. Who had nowhere else to go because of his injured leg. "He has nothing to do with any of this. Let him come with me back home and this will all blow over."

"Blow over? Hmm, let me take a second to think. Uhh... no." Alec said back with a wide smile. "I won't be letting him go. Especially with you."

"You don't know him. I grew up with him."

"Grew up lying to him. Just like that low life Santiago."

 _That's debatable. I'm still contemplating that myself_ , Magnus thought.

Jonathan inhaled, huffing. "I am going to murder you for what you've done to him."

"I haven't done anything." Alec said.

Jonathan twisted his head, cracking some tense muscles. He moved over, getting a good punch to Alec's nose. But Alec has always been the better fighter. He raised his knee, hitting Jonathan hard in the ribs. He hunched forward. Alec shoved him down so that he rested on his leg and planted a hard slap against his ass. He chuckled at his own humor before throwing him down onto the ground. Jonathan growled in frustration while Magnus chuckled above the balcony. Alec stomped on his foot onto his back, pressing him down into the ground. He grabbed a fistful of hair in a sneer, moving over to hit him once again in the face.

Jonathan slammed his face down, knowing it would hurt him. But Lightwood's hand went down. He grabbed him around and flipped him down onto the ground with him. Alec landed on his stomach. Jonathan quickly crawled over grabbing him and wrapping his arm around Alec's throat. He held on tightly as Alec thrashed. He pushed Jonathan onto his back. But the tightness around his neck didn't cease. Alec gasped for air. Magnus' eyes widened, moving over and taking the railings. "NO!" he screamed. "Jonathan, no!"

Jonathan kept on holding as Alec was gasping for air. His eyes started to roll up to the back of his head. His body was ready for unconsciousness. Magnus shook his head. He couldn't let this happen. He moved around, looking for something that he could do to help him in just one bit. He turned over, seeing the paintings and decorations against the wall. One of which was a fake grape wine rack. Holding bottles of wine and champagne. He smiled. He yanked off a bottle of champagne and snapped off the cap. He quickly poured it down. The alcohol landed in Jonathan's eyes. He screamed, letting go of Alec unconsciously. Alec pulled away, confused a bit as he took in some air. He looked over, seeing Jonathan hiss in pain and then up at Magnus. Magnus was gripping the empty bottle, breathing a sigh of relief that Alec was okay. Alec smiled. He grabbed Jonathan and slammed his face in the wall. Jonathan tried to punch back. But the alcohol and carbonation was burning his eyes and left his visibility useless. 

Alec pulled him up and then slammed him down into another one of his mother's mirrors. The glass pierced his skin. He fell down in a painful heap. He cowered into a ball. Alec launched one last hard kick into the back of his neck. Rendering him unconscious finally. Alec wiped some blood from his head. He didn't care how red it was or how much it was gushing. He looked up at the balcony, instantly smiling. Magnus smiled back at him. He slowly pulled himself up onto his one leg. He smiled down at Alec. He had held his own quite well. Alec moved to try and get back up to Magnus. Magnus moved to help the climbing man.

He didn't get the chance to. He was pulled away from where he was and away from Alec. Magnus screamed in shock as his arm was wretched behind him. Alec's eyes widened. "MAGNUS!"

Magnus was picked up and hauled over Azazel's shoulder. He kicked and screamed as much as he could. "Let go! Fucking let me down!"

"You bastard!" Alec snapped.

"Tape couldn't keep you away." Azazel said. "Maybe this will be a better warning."

Magnus screamed. Alec climbed faster, moving to reach him. By the time he reached the balcony railing, Magnus and Azazel were gone.


	34. Chapter 34

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Saturday my lovely readers! I hope that you are ready for this chapter as much as I am!! 😊😁

"Let go of me!"

"Not happening young Bane." Azazel yelled back at him, twisting him arm a bit tighter as they walked down the hall.

Magnus hissed in pain. "Please... please... I can't be on my leg. It's broken." he said to him.

"Don't care." Azazel said, turning his head around the corner to see if there was anyone around. When he saw there was no one else, he turned over to Magnus. "Your father has been extremely worried about your well being."

"Shocker." Magnus said, nothing but utter sarcasm in his voice. He cried out in pain as his arm was twisted more and his back was pressed up against Azazel's chest.

He moved his mouth over to Magnus' ear. He didn't have to hear him speak to know that his breath smelled like hot ass. He had to stop himself from gagging. "Now, I know that I might not have been able to get to Lightwood, but I do have you. And that was the main goal." he said.

"I'm a collector's item apparently in this life. Any damages will ruin the value." he sneered back.

"I'd watch your mouth if I was you."

"I'd brush my teeth if I was you."

"You are just as snarky are your father."

"Fun fact, that man might have helped in getting my mother pregnant, but he is anything but a father."

Azazel bit his lip, angered at his resilience. "Now, I need to get you out of here. Your father is a very impatient man. But this entire fucking fortress is on lock down."

"What gave it away? The metal walls on the windows or the fact that Alec tried to kill you?" Magnus said back.

Azazel ignored him. "How do I get out of here and shut off the walls?"

Magnus inhaled, looking down. He rubbed his lips together. "You worked here once. Shouldn't you know?" he said. As he spoke, a thought came to him. About Azazel. He had an idea.

"I was a bodyguard. Where is it?!" Azazel snapped.

"You know where the training room is?" Magnus said. "Alec showed me that it's hidden there."

Azazel nodded. He threw Magnus over his shoulder and rushed out of the hall and towards the foyer staircase.

* * *

Izzy was the second to last one to climb up into the safe room. She tightly held onto her mother's hand as she went inside of large room. She sat down and looked over at Raphael. He was about to climb up, but he stopped himself. He turned over and looked at the hallway. Izzy moved over, looking down at him through the entrance way that was like an attic door. "Raphael." she called. "What's wrong?"

"I need to find Magnus." he said. "I know that I promised to leave him alone, but I won't just sit around and let him get hurt."

"Raphael." Clary called. "You promised him."

"I know that I did. But Alec hasn't found you yet and neither has Jace. He's either with Magnus or something's happened." he said.

"Why can't you just trust him?" Clary, Maryse and Izzy all said in unison.

"I do!" he said back. "But not with Azazel and Jonathan. He is in a fucking wheelchair for Christ's sake."

Raphael turned over. He sighed, shoving his gun into his waistband. He turned over to the ladies. "Look." Clary called. "If you're gonna go, go. Just keep yourself in one piece. You'll need a beating heart to speak to Magnus."

Raphael nodded in agreement. He closed the door and took off into a sprint. He ran down the steps and to the foyer. He looked around, trying to find any hint of Magnus or Alec. He searched. He saw hints of broken glass. But there was no one else there. His fingers lingered over the railing as he stepped down the stairs. They were broken. Like someone had fallen through it. And he didn't see a wheelchair somewhere, so it couldn't be Magnus. Maybe it had been Alec? Or one of the mercenaries that Azazel brought along with him? Raphael pulled out his gun as he stepped down onto the ground.

He slowly looked around once more. He inhaled, feeling someone around him. He turned around and took a shot. He was tackled before he could even see if the bullet hit his intended target. He huffed dropping his gun. He raised his fists, but set them down. Seeing who it was. He opened his hands instead and held them out. "Woah, woah, woah!!" he screamed. "It's me! It's me!"

Jace huffed, getting off of him and lowering his fist. "Fucking Santiago."

"Where's Alec?" he asked.

"I've been looking for him all over the manor." Jace said, standing up. He held his hand up to Raphael, helping him stand. "There were mercenaries all over the place. I found some of them knocked out, but now they're gone."

"I haven't been able to see any of them either. But I saw the damage done. This was Lightwood. No doubt." he said.

"Where would he be?" Jace asked.

"Looking for Magnus no doubt. I've already checked the office, which by the way, he opened up the wall to. If Azazel is here, he must be looking for a way out. Which means looking for-"

"SON OF A BITCH!"

The two men stilled. They turned over, hearing the angry voice that was coming from the hall. The two jumped, seeing someone fly across the corridor and slam into a door. Breaking it in the process. Alec came cross the corner, fury in his eyes. He turned over, seeing Jace and Raphael standing there. They both gripped their guns with a bit of fear in their eyes. Alec kissed his teeth, walking over to them. "Where's Azazel?" he growled.

"How should I know?" Jace said. "I've went through the entire place. I couldn't find him. Or Magnus. Or Iz and ma."

"Your sister is fine." Raphael said.

"Excuse me?" Alec sneered.

"They're in your safe room." Raphael said.

"You took them there?" Jace asked.

"Yes."

"You left the office and split up with Magnus?!" Alec yelled, pointing at him. Jace had to push him back to stop him from doing something he would regret. "Why didn't you just stay inside with him?! My sister would have been fine! My mother would have been fine! But what of Magnus, huh? Their fucking target?! He was just-"

"Hey! I didn't want to!" Raphael said. "He put a gun to my head!"

"He what?" Jace added this time, actually rather shocked.

"He took the other gun I had and put it to my head." Raphael said. "He forced me. I came looking for him after."

"Wow." Jace gasped.

 _Why is that hot?_ , Alec thought, looking down. He shook his head.

"I haven't been able to find him. Did he maybe find one of you?" Raphael asked.

"I found him. Jonathan got to him first. But I handled him." Alec said. "I moved to get back to him, but Azazel... motherfucker. He grabbed him."

"We need to find him then. And find him now." Raphael said.

"Tell me something I don't know Snow White." Alec snapped.

"Hey, hey, hey, no need to get snippy." Jace added, moving over in between the two of them to stop an unneeded brawl. "Magnus comes first. Where would Azazel take him?"

"He's somewhere still inside the manor. There's nowhere else for him to go." Alec said, rubbing his thumb against the trigger of his gun. "His mission is to leave with Magnus. What would that entail?"

"Shutting down your lock down software." Jace said. "With the doors and windows open, that's a golden opportunity for him to get away with Magnus."

"The only way to do that is in my office though. And Magnus would never purposely take him there. He's smarter then that."

"Then what would he do?"

"Bait him." Raphael added.

Alec and Jace both turned to him in unison. "Huh?"

"Magnus is smart. He wouldn't just let someone kidnap him even if he was indisposed." he said, his eyes looking towards Jace. "He's smart when it comes to me and getting rid of problems. When it comes to a creep lowlife like Azazel, he'll bait him into a trap."

"How do you know this?" Jace asked.

"This is Magnus Bane we're talking about." Raphael said.

"So if he's going to bait him, where would it be? Magnus has been here for a while but..." Alec looked up, smiling. "I know where he would go."

"Where?" Raphael called.

* * *

Azazel kicked the door open to the training room. He huffed in anger, looking down the range of steps. "This better not be some kind of trick." he snapped at Magnus, who was still over his shoulder.

"Please explain to me then why I would try and trick you when this is life or death?" Magnus snapped.

Azazel ignored him, slowly descending the steps. He kept an eye out, looking out for some kind of guard or even Lightwood. Slowly, they moved down the steps. "Why the fuck is it so dark?" he asked.

"How the fuck should I know?" Magnus snapped, kicking him in the stomach with his good foot. Azazel huffed in pain. "Ha ha, gotcha."

"You are so annoying."

"I know you are, but what am I?"

Azazel was really starting to get frustrated. Magnus was being very childish for someone who might lose his life with him. He finally reached a bottom of the steps. He threw Magnus down on his good foot. Magnus hissed as he struggled to find his step and ignore the pain. Azazel yanked his arm behind his back again. "Now, where is the button or switch or color coded keypad?" he asked.

Magnus huffed. "Keep going straight. It should be somewhere here."

Azazel listened to him, slowly walking him forward into the training room. He kept an eye out, looking out for something that would sign an ambush or some kind of threat. Magnus inhaled, looking over to the side. Endless nights of crying in the darkness paid off for his increased vision in the dark. He looked over, seeing what he needed. He inhaled, knowing that there was much to do. And this was his only chance to get rid of this assassin. Magnus inhales sharply. He kicked Azazel in the knee, making him fall down to the ground. Magnus quickly slid away from him as fast as he could on one leg.

Azazel growled, standing up. "You little bitch!" he yelled. "You can't hide from me forever on a broken ankle! I'll find you and gut you myself!"

The lights blared on.

Azazel stepped back, hiding his eyes from the light since it had taken him a second to get used to the darkness. He turned in a circle, looking for Magnus. He saw him. He was on the floor, but there was a sly smile on his lips. He raised his arm and pointed it. The shot was so fast that Azazel couldn't even see what it was until it was too close and too late. The knife impaled his unscratched eye. Going deep inside of it's flesh. He screamed, falling down on his knees and waving his arms in the air. Magnus smiled. He did it. He pulled another knife up from the rack and threw it. That one hitting Azazel's flailing hand.

It flew back, bolting his hand to the floor and forcing him on his back. Azazel screamed in pain as the blood poured. Magnus laughed. He did it. He did that shit! He turned over immediately when he heard the door slam open. He gripped the knife, just in case it was another Morgenstern mercenary. He smiled, seeing Alec sprint down the steps. He raised his brow, seeing the extent of the attack. Azazel's face was covered in blood as he was screaming out in intense pain. But he looked over at Magnus. There wasn't a scratch on him. Alec rushed over to him, Jace and Raphael becoming visible as they made their down the steps as well. Alec fell down on his knees and took Magnus' by his shoulders. Magnus smiled, seeing him there. There to comfort him. "Fuck Magnus." he breathed.

"I'm alright." Magnus said to him, pressing a gentle hand on his cheek. "I'm okay. Look at me Alexander. I'm fine."

Jace and Raphael ran over to Azazel, holding him down. Alec watched them, nodding in approval at their roughness. He turned all of his attention back to Magnus. He pressed his forehead to his. "Did you do that?" he asked. "Good work."

"I learned from the best." he gasped back.

Alec smiled, hugging him and rubbing his shoulders in comfort. Magnus pressed a sweet kiss to his cheek. Magnus couldn't help but chuckle. Alec pressed his own kiss, one more gentle and more loving, to his temple before looking over at Azazel. It was all over now. His inner nightmare was over for tonight. Magnus was safe. The lock down was over.


	35. Chapter 35

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azazel has now been captured and the manor is safe once more. But the question is how he got in and why.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay. Let us address the elephant in the room. Well... the elephant through the screen. I am here to explain. No worries my loves.
> 
> So, BIITB. What the absolute fuck happened to the two updates of the week?! You left us on a kind of cliffhanger and we want our Clace and Malec fluff. I know. I know. So, on Wednesday, I had the AP English exam to take. And since everyone was forced into quarantine, I had to take it online. And because my anxiety is bad during tests, I spent my entire day until the testing time was me revising old essays, going over rhetorical devices, crying and practicing. So that was my entire day until after the exam. And then after that, my loving parents and sisters (fuck my brother) wanted to celebrate and cooked for me. That was my day and I didn't want to give you a late update like last time.
> 
> And then on Saturday, it was my darling little sister's forth birthday. And since we couldn't give her a birthday party, we gave her such a fun day. We decorated my house, made homemade pizza (her favorite food), had cake, watched movies. It was fun and it was all for her since she is literally my whole entire world. And my entire family pitched in to give her the birthday she deserved. I wish you could see the smile on her face when she saw her balloons and her bubbles. Made her day and mine. So I didn't update. In fact, my phone was done the entire time because it was her day. I did not find ANY time to edit the chapter that I had prepared for you guys.
> 
> I apologize for that. I am still working on the story, but I have been updating every Wednesday and Saturday (and sometimes every day) for weeks on end. I hope that you understand that I needed a pretty well deserved break. Regardless though, I do love and appreciate that you read my story and comment and bookmark it. Means the world to me. I hope that I didn't upset you too much. Hope to see you again on Saturday's update. Hugs and many, many kisses from me six feet apart!
> 
> Also, fucking Justice for George Floyd! The white supremacist should be arrested for murder. ACAB ✊🏽

For years in the Lightwood cabal history, no one has ever infiltrated and attacked the manor. No one has ever had the audacity to. Azazel made history that night and early morning. More like infamy, since he had failed. Alec looked down, staring at the poor excuse for a man from his spot in his desk. He looked absolutely horrible from when they had met last. One of his eyes scratched slightly due his him and the other completely cut down. The knife lodged inside of it had been removed for more torture and punishment, and a thick bandage wrapped over it to keep from infection or bleeding out, since Alec wanted to be the one to kill him slowly. Dried blood was covering his cheeks and chin. He looked like something out of a bad horror movie. His hair was slicked back with sweat. His shirt had been torn apart and his hand hadn't even been bothered to be wrapped up like the eye. Instead, his wrists were pulled behind him him and bound with tight rope, along with elbows. He was forced on his knees, held down by his guards. Forced to wait for Alec's words. Alec turned over to one of his men. "How many?" he sneered.

He instantly knew what the cabal head meant. He bowed his head. "Only three. They were killed in an attempt to defend you and the family."

Alec was so glad that the people who were paid to protect and serve him had went and hid instead of running into fire. He was lucky enough that he had only lost three lives. But to him it was three lives to many. And it was all Azazel's fault. He had done all of this. He growled, sitting up from his desk and walked over to Azazel. He exhaled through his nose, punching him square in the jaw. He grunted as his face went to the side. "Talk." he stated.

"I really have nothing to say to you." Azazel said.

"You do." he said back. "Because of you three of my guards are dead! And you came after my family and attacked my home. You have plenty to speak on. So start now or I start with your fingers."

Azazel huffed, pulling his head back. He turned over, looking at Raphael. He standing by his desk with his arm crossed. Azazel let out a chuckle. "Traitor."

"Don't listen to him Santiago." Alec said with an eye roll. "Let's start with my home. When people leave or die, I change locks and codes. And I am damn sure that I have had them changed dozens of times since I killed Robert and since Magnus arrived."

"You call him being kidnapped an arrival?"

"Who helped you get inside?"

"I didn't need help."

"You're right. Alone you might not need help. But to smuggle in Valentine's guards under my nose and my guards, that takes a bit of help. Someone is a traitor in this room, and it isn't Raphael. Who helped you get inside of here?"

Azazel still growled his direction. Alec took him by the back of his neck and slammed him down against the floor, pressing his knee against his back. He snapped in Jace's direction, motioning for a knife. Jace handed it to him with ease. Alec slowly pressed the cold tip of the blade against his finger, right below the knuckle and held onto his head tightly as if it was a giant grape. Azazel started to shake when he felt the blade start to cut the skin. As this wasn't a ploy. He was sawing at it like it was wood. He started to struggle, but Alec continued. He screamed as blood started to spill out of the cut like water from a water balloon. "No! Stop!" he cried.

"Who then?"

"Allison! Allison!" he cried.

Alec hummed, pulling the knife free from the skin. He got up, looking over at the guards in front of him. The other three slowly turned over towards Allison. Her face went pale instantly and she went to grab her gun. The two closest to her instantly disarmed her. Alec chuckled, picking up the knife. "Oh Allie." he called. "You were such a good seducer for me too."

With the blink of an eye, the knife slashed against her throat, blood pouring out and sending her to the ground. He kicked the wound as it still bled out. "Now, why did Bane send you here?"

"He came here for his son. Didn't get him from you, so he sent me." he said.

"If you're the best kidnapper in this life, then I'm the fucking Ariana Grande." Jace snapped.

Alec let out a chuckle, pushing Azazel back to the ground. He growled at him. Alec turned to him. "He paid you to kidnap Magnus? A father paid a low life to take his son?"

"Not kidnap. Rescue. You were the one that kidnapped him." he snapped back.

Alec slapped him hard across the face. "If Bane hired you, why did he sent Morgenstern mercenaries? He has his own protection." he asked.

"If I remember correctly, you said that you don't need any sort of back up." Raphael said.

"Valentine insisted."

"But he didn't hire you."

"I am aware." Azazel said. "He told me that I would need them to get to you."

Alec kissed his teeth. "And what does he want with me?"

"Valentine didn't explain. He just said to capture you. I know for sure that Bane wanted revenge." he said. "But Valentine is a silent one. He refused to tell me what he wanted with you and what was the purpose of your capture."

Alec inhaled. "Something isn't adding up here." he said. "Valentine wanted Magnus as well. That's why he sent his men along with his son."

"Jonathan Morgenstern's intentions are also unknown to me. I don't know everything." he said.

"I know what Jonathan wants." Raphael quirked.

Alec turned to him. "What was it?"

"He wants Magnus. He's in love with him."

"Love?"

"They've known each other for years. They met through Clary. Jonathan has been in love with him since then. That's probably why he was here. To rescue him and prove his devotion."

Alec inhaled. He turned over to one of his guards. She had a few rug burns on her cheek, but she seemed okay. "Have you done a sweep of the manor?"

"Yes sir. The only bodies were found were our own." she said, looking down with a sigh.

Alec inhaled. "How is that possible?" he said, turning over to Jace and Raphael.

"I have no idea." Jace said.

Azazel chuckled. "Morgenstern's men always have a plan and with a little help from Allison-"

Alec punched him once again for speaking out of turn. He hissed at him, wanting nothing more than to just shoot him in his face until he couldn't recognize him anymore. He looked up at his guards. "Take him to my cells. I'll handle him in the morning." he said.

They nodded, moving over and grabbing the assassin and kidnapper. He dragged him out of the room, ignore his yelps of protest. Alec exhaled, turning over to Jace and Raphael. He pressed his hands against his desk. His hair falling down and getting in front of his eyes. He inhaled, looking up. He walked over to his drink cart and yanked opened a bottle of whiskey. He poured out a couple of drinks. Jace smiled sadly. "You don't need three jack and cokes Alec." he said.

Raphael elbowed him lightly. "It's for you."

"Oh."

Alec held the glasses out towards Jace. He then looked over at Raphael. He gave a small grin, pushing the glass towards him. Raphael looked down at it and gratefully took the glass. Alec sipped his drink. "Thank you." he said.

"I didn't do anything." Jace said.

"I'm talking to Santiago." Alec called.

"Oh."

"You're welcome." he said back.

"I should have listened to you. Maybe not before in the cells but, a when you first arrived."

"I understand your anger."

"You can't go back to Bane or Valentine. They'll suspect something."

"But he can't just stay here. If he does it will be even more suspicious since he spied on them." Jace said. "And that goes for Clary as well."

"Herondale is right." Raphael said. "But as much I wish not to, I need to go back to Bane. If I don't he will surely try and find me. Either that or he will speak with Valentine and he will send someone after us."

"What about Jonathan?" Alec asked, sipping his drink. "He was here. Did he catch you?"

"No. I was with your family. I didn't see him and he didn't see me. Apparently, you must have been the only one that he had fought." Raphael explained with a shrug. "That must give even more instinctive to go back."

"This can be a good thing." Alec said, setting down his whiskey glass. "If you can continue spying on them for me, we can all figure this out a whole lot quicker. And I can stop Valentine before his plan even comes into motion. Santiago, are you willing to help me with this?"

He smiled. " _Estoy dentro. Hagámoslo._ "

"Good." Alec said, holding out his hand. Raphael took it and gripped it firmly, shaking it.

"Yeah." Jace commented. "We're gonna fuck shit up."

* * *

Magnus put a smile on his face, setting down a empty roll of medical tape. Now that the wound was closed, they were no longer close to a sort of danger zone. "That should do it." he said. "How does the cut feel?"

The woman moved her leg up and down. She smiled, not feeling anymore sharp pain. "It's great. Thank you Magnus."

"You're most welcome Amanda." he said back.

"How long until she recovers completely?" asked the man near her. He was resting his hand on her good leg's thigh.

"It's not a too deep cut, so she will be fine." Magnus said. "But if you want to keep her safe, just take her home and keep her there. She might be a little nauseous for a couple months."

"Nauseous? What, why?" he asked, his eyes widening in fear. "H-How long? What happened? I thought that it was just a cut?"

"It is babe. It is." Amanda said back, taking his wrists. "It won't be forever. The sickness should only be about like... nine months?"

"Nine mo..." he looked down at his wife. He smiled widely, hugging her tightly. He laughed, smiling widely. "Holy shit! Oh my goodness, sweetheart!"

"I'll leave you two." Magnus said, turning his wheelchair around and going away from the table. He moved over towards where Isabelle was sitting. She sipped on a drink in a small plastic medical cup. "You done?"

"All done. Alec ordered everyone home that wasn't injured and after they got treatment. Thank the lord that only a couple were hurt terribly." she said, sipping it.

"I just wish that no lives had to be lost." Magnus said, leaning more into his wheelchair. "You have anymore wine?"

Izzy chuckled. She turned over, picking up the bottle. She grabbed another cup and poured some for Magnus. He took it graciously. Cat turned over from her spot, walking over to them. "How was everyone?" she asked.

"No one was seriously injured. A few cuts. A few scratches." Izzy said.

"How's Maryse? Is she alright?"

"She's fine. Alec took her to his bedroom and she's sleeping there. How were yours?"

"They were fine. The only real bad ones were a few deeper cuts and one bullet wound." Magnus explained.

"And are you okay?" Izzy asked. Cat leaning in and nodding in agreement.

Magnus chuckled at their worry. "Yes, yes. I'm fine. If anything, I just have a small bruise on my wrist and forearm. It'll go away."

Cat exhaled, laying down on the medical table that Izzy was leaning against. She pulled out a pack of cigarettes from her white medical coat. "Lighter?" she called.

Izzy knelt down, picking up a small lighter. She lit Cat's cigarette. She inhaled and blew out the smoke. She turned her head to him. "I'm sorry. Does this bother you?"

"No." Magnus said with a shrug. "You should see me when I drink."

The three of them fell into a chuckle. Magnus turned over, hearing a slight knock from the infirmary door. The door opened shortly after. Magnus smiled, seeing Alec. Alec gave him a smile in return. He slowly walked towards him. He knelt down in front of him and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Hey." he called.

"Hey." Magnus said back with a hint of blush.

"Hey." Izzy called out, waving her hands. "When the hell did this happen?"

"Izzy, sweetie." Cat whispered, puffing out a small amount of smoke. "Give them their moment."

Alec looked up at his two nurses. "Thanks girls for your help."

"No problem big brother." she said with a smile.

"Happy to help in any way that I can." Cat said.

"I thought I said no smoking in here." Alec said, pointing his finger jokingly.

"And I thought I said don't call me after eleven at night. But hey! Here I am. Three AM. I've earned a cigarette." she said, puffing out another cloud.

Magnus smiled. Cat had a nice sense of humor. He chuckled into his wine, causing bubbles. "Isn't kind of ironic that you're a doctor that smokes."

"I know." Izzy added in agreement.

Alec chuckled. "I hope that you ladies don't mind, but I would very much like to bother Magnus here for a second."

"I don't mind." she said. "As long as we can talk after all of this."

"I promise baby sis." he said back, taking his handle bars and wheeling him out of the room. Magnus crossed his hands in front of him, biting his lip in worry. Alec stayed silent as they wheeled away from the door. He turned over before walking over in front of Alec. He knelt down. "Can I see your wrist?"

"My wrist? Why?" Magnus asked

"I saw it was red when I found you in the training room. Is it sprained or bruised?" Alec asked.

Magnus shook his head in understanding, showing his arm. "It's fine. It's takes a lot to break me."

Alec smiled and nodded. But his smile slowly fell back down. He slowly stood back up, wiping his pants. "I'm sorry about leaving you alone. I shouldn't have done that."

"It's okay."

"It's not. I should of just brought you to my safe room. You would have been safe in there and then you wouldn't have to deal with all of this."

"Well if I'm being totally fair here, I've already been inside of this life. I've been apart of it for all my life. I'm not really surprised anymore that people like that guy exist."

Alec let out a small chuckle. Magnus smiled back at him. "We're not safe here."

"What do you mean?" Magnus asked, quirking up an eyebrow.

"No one in this life has ever attacked the manor like this. No one has had the balls."

"Well, don't you have people and contacts that come here? To give you your things? Like with my father. I'm assuming that he doesn't come here to drop off your guns."

"You're correct. I have contacts. But my people go to them and bring me what I need. For meetings I go to them along with my trusted guards."

"So... that's why my father hired Azazel. Because he knew where I would be."

"Exactly. I will be taking care of Azazel in the morning but I am assuming that the men that escaped won't be fond of keeping their mouth shut. Now everyone here is in danger. My family, my workers... you."

Magnus blushed. "Where will you go?"

"I have a places all over. I know one that is a bit closer to the city, but no one else knows where it is. It's my mother's place. She bought it just in case something like this should happen." Alec said. "I know that everyone wants to sleep, but Valentine is a fast man. And if they're heading back to the city, he would want to strike me back by tomorrow morning or mid afternoon. I need to get everyone to pack up their shit and leave."

"What can I do to help you?" Magnus asked, taking his hands.

"I don't have a lot to get rid of. Just of family photos. A few bedding stuff. But that's pretty much it."

"I'll help you pack up as much as possible."

"You don't have to."

"I want to. I'm going to help you as much as possible." Magnus said.

Alec smiled, moving towards. He took his hand in one hand before holding his cheek in the other. "When this is done, I really want to finish what we started in Baltimore."

Magnus smiled. "I'd like that too."

Alec moved forward and pressed a sweet kiss against his nose. Magnus blushed when he felt Alec's lips on his face. But he moved over, so that their lips met instead. Alec kissed him back. Even in the darkest of moments currently, Magnus was there.

* * *

Jace moved passed the next hall, looking around as quickly as possible. He looked desperate. But no one was going to tell him that. He was Lightwood's right hand man. He was utttered one word of disrepect or hatred and they were gone with the snap of his finger. Everyone just put their heads down and continued moving items out of the manor. Jace continued his search though. He was hoping to find Clary. He really wanted to speak with her. He felt like there was so much that they haven't finished yet. He moved down the next corner and smiled. He found her. She helping one of the guards with items that had fallen. He moved towards her, seeing as she rested the last box into her arms. The guard nodded with a smile, moving away.

Clary turned over, seeing Jace. He gave her a small smile, slowly moving towards her. Clary gently started to rub at her arms. Suddenly she was cold when he was around. It was almost like all of her senses had just uped the ante now the he was here. Jace noticed her shiver and took a step back. "I'm sorry." he said. "Am I making you uncomfortable?"

"Oh! Oh no. Not... not you." she said. "It's cold in here."

Jace let out a breathy chuckle, shucking off his jacket. "This place is pretty old. It's been here for years. It tends to get drafty. Here."

Jace wrapped the jacket around her shoulders. Clary smiled. "Thank you." she said.

"You're welcome." he said. "I really hope that I didn't mess up everything with you. You know, with this whole cabal thing. I'd actually really like to get to know you better."

Clary blushed. "So do you and your brother just have a thing for people outside of this mob life?"

Jace chuckled, falling into a calm stroll with her. "No. We just have good eyes for beautiful people."

"If I do remember it correctly, I was the one that approached you first and then gave you my card."

"You right. That you did."

Clary chuckled. "You know... I'm not really apart of this life, but I am going to have to end up apart of it. Not only that but my dad is trying to-"

"It doesn't scare me if that's what you're talking about." he said to her. "I really want to explore this when this is all over and we're both safe."

Clary nodded. "Well... then we should start now."

"What do you mean by-mppghm!"

Clary slapped her lips against his. Jace's eyes widened. But he smiled, before kissing her back. He wrapped his arms around her waist as she wrapped his arms around his neck. He had no problem with this. If this is what he had to remember and hold onto until their future, he didn't mind at all. Clary pulled away, looking up at him. "That was amazing." she whispered.

"Yeah... yeah it was." Jace whispered back. He pulled back, holding out his hand to him. Clary smiled, taking it graciously.


	36. Chapter 36

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raphael makes amends...
> 
> Azazel shares why he attacked Lightwood Manor and more importantly, came after Magnus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess you've wondered where I've been...
> 
> If you didn't get the opportunity to read the author's note, to basically sum it up I have gotten a bit sad and depressed due to the state of the world, systematic racism against my people and my body dysmorphia.
> 
> I am feeling much better now if you are wondering and I am going to try to get back into the update swing of things. I have about twenty or forty chapters lined up for posting/editing and I am ready to write my ending. 
> 
> Thank you all for your wonderful words and overall sticking with me through thick and thin. You guys are literally the sweetest and most thoughtful ever. Like you made me cry last week that's how kind you are 😢😭
> 
> I love you all and sit back and enjoy 💙

Magnus sighed as he pulled in the last box into a wide van. He knew that this wasn't his home but he was actually kind of upset and sad that they had to leave this place. He turned over, looking at the big manor. It was beautiful. Alexander was probably raised here. There was probably lovely memories here. And now they were all dealing with this situation and leaving this home. He sighed, shutting the van door.

"Why so sentimental?"

Magnus turned over. He saw Raphael approaching, his hands shoved into the pockets of his jacket. Magnus sighed, turning away from him. He wrapped his scarf around him tighter. Raphael chuckled almost sadly, nodding at him. "Sorry. I shouldn't have snuck up on you. I'll leave you alone if-"

"Raphael." Magnus called, wheeling over to him. He looked up at his old friend. Raphael was looking at him intently. Magnus sighed, motioning with his head to him to follow. Magnus wheeled towards the front entrance. Raphael slowly lowered himself down to sit on the steps as they came to a stop.

Raphael rested his elbows against his thighs and crossed his fingers together. He sighed. He knew that this conversation was coming. He was lucky that it was coming. Because Magnus had the right to ignore him and kick him out of his life. "Magnus..." he called. "Look I-"

"Please, don't. Not yet at least." he said to him, holding his hand out in front of him. Raphael pressed his lips together. Magnus then bit on his thumb nail. "Can I just ask you something first?"

Raphael nodded. "I'm an open book."

"Why do you work for my father? Is it a money thing?"

"No."

"Then why do you do it? And not tell me?"

Raphael sighed. "I know that we're friends and have been friends for years. But there is a lot that you don't know about me." he said. "Firstly... I had a sister."

Magnus' eyes softened. "You what?"

Raphael exhaled, slowly explaining everything to Magnus. Everything that happened in his life. The loss of his mama. Of his _hermanita_. Losing money. His father. And needing to protect the only people that he had left. Magnus stayed there in his wheelchair, holding his nail right in between his teeth and looking at Raphael. Listening to him. Raphael let out a long exhale when he was finished. "You weren't supposed to find out this way." he said.

Magnus rubbed his lips together. "Were you going to eventually tell me?"

"I was warned not to." he said.

"By my father?" he asked. Raphael nodded. "What benefit does he get from me not knowing?"

"Look, I know that you hate him. But he's actually done this for you."

"Raphael-"

"I'm not making excuses for him. I agree with you on every point that he's a horrible man. But the reason that you have been held away from this life is for your own good."

"What good? Raphael, what do you mean?"

"You were able to live a normal life. Get married. Be happy. Away from the cabals. He miscalculated how his arrogance would ruin you. But there's more to it." he explained. "I'm sure that someone here has told you how important you are. Maybe Izzy. Or Alec himself. I know that it sounds fucking cliche... but it's true. That's why your father kept you at a distance."

"What is so important about me though? I'm just me." Magnus said to him, his arms still crossed on his chest and he shrugged.

"You're more than just you Mags." he said back to him.

Magnus sighed. "Raphael, we're both adults. Why couldn't you just tell me? Were you ever going to tell me about me? Or my father? Or the cabals?'

"I knew that one day I would tell you. But I was going to tell you in a controlled enviornment. One where you could lash your anger out at me or your father."

"But why do this anyways? After all-?"

"To protect the ones I love! I lost Rosa... I lost my mama... I couldn't lose you too to some prick that just wanted some guns. Or Morgenstern because his plan is God knows what! That's all I wanted. And I'm so sorry that I hurt you in the process. I never meant to. That was never my intention. I'm so sorry."

Magnus sighed, looking down. He gripped the knees of his pants. "You've always had a good heart. You've always cared about me. And Simon and Clary."

Raphael nodded, looking down. "I'm so sorry Magnus."

Magnus smiled. He wheeled over to him and placed his hand on top of Raphael's. He looked up. "I do not trust you anymore. You have lost that." he said. "But... I am willing to actually listen and let you earn it back."

Raphael smiled widely. "You are too kind.'

Magnus smiled back. "You're lucky we have so many years of history together. It would be wrong to throw it out the window." They both chuckled. Magnus sighed. "About my father... why did he do this? Alexander didn't deserve it."

"I can't give you a real answer Magnus." he said.

"Raphael, I know that you hate him as much as I do. Even though you work for him, there's no need for protecting."

"I can't protect information I don't know Mags."

"You mean that he's never actually told you."

"The most that I have heard is that you are is precious boy."

Magnus scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Sure I am." he said. He turned his head back over to his friend. "Thank you for telling me though."

"Thank you for listening." he said back.

Magnus smiled. The two fell into a happy chuckle. They stopped though, hearing another chuckle. They turned over, seeing Clary standing there. Hiding near a bush. Raphael raised his eyebrow. "How long have you been standing there?" he asked.

"Long enough." she said back, rushing over to them and hugging them back. "Yea! We're a family again."

"Still missing Simon." Raphael added.

"He's not involved in this, right?" Magnus asked. Clary and Raphael slowly both turned to each other. Magnus' eyes widened. "Wait, he is?"

"No." Raphael said. "He just knows."

"How?"

"You think that detective loving buff Simon Lewis wouldn't figure it out?"

The three of them fell into a chuckle. Magnus had missed this.

* * *

Alec looked through the window of his office. The stained glass that made the window always without fail made the sunrise look even more beautiful. He crossed his arms behind him back, exhaling as he admired the beautiful work that was kind of an heirloom to the Lightwood family. He ran his finger against the window. The window had been apart of his family for years. Apart of this home for years. There rested his family name. Their sign, their crest, their objectives. They were feared and now they were forced to leave the place that they were fleeing. It made him angry that this was happening. But things had to happen. He sighed. "He careful with it or I'll break your skulls." he ordered.

The two guards behind him gulped, but nodded. They knew better than to argue. They moved over, slowly starting to try and remove the windowpane from the wall. Alec turned around, slowly walking outside of what would soon no longer be his office. He turned over and saw Magnus waiting for him. He smiled. "Hey." Magnus called.

"Hey." he said back. "I thought that you were downstairs."

"I was downstairs. But then you left me. I came looking for you." Magnus said, looking in through the window. "You're removing the window?"

"That window has been apart of my family or generations. I've always loved it. And my family's name and crest is engraved into it. And I won't let someone like Morgenstern have the satisfaction of finding or destroying it when he arrives." Alec said.

Magnus nodded in understanding of what he was saying and how important it was for him. He watched as the men slowly pulled the window out, admiring how the sunlight coming in from the previous window hole reflected on it like a diamond. He turned over, looking at a black symbol against it. "Is that your crest?" he asked.

Alec looked down at it. "Yeah." he said, rolling up his sweater sleeve and showing off the same symbol tattooed against his arm. Magnus smiled, looking down it at.

"I admire how you call it a crest. Almost as if you're a prince." Magnus said.

"Thank you I guess." Alec said. "We also call it a rune."

"What does it mean?"

"It's supposed to represent power from above. From the angels that watch over us."

"Do of your tattoos mean something? Like how this one means something?"

"They do. But that's a story for another day. There's not a lot of time and still have some matters to attend to."

Alec pressed a kiss against his cheek and moved to leave. But Magnus called out to him again, wheeling towards him. "Is that matter starts with an A, ends with an L. Maybe rhymes with basil?"

Alec stopped. He sighed, turning back over to him and brushing his fingers against his cheekbones. "It is." he answered. "Why do you ask all of a sudden?"

Magnus bit his lip. "Do you mind if I speak to him?"

Alec's eyes widened. "Why on earth would you want to talk to the man that literally almost kidnapped you?"

"My father hired him to do that. And I just need to try and understand the reason behind it."

"Magnus-"

"Just one question. That's it. I'm very sure that I can get something out him. I threw a knife into his fucking eye for Pete's sake. I just know that there is something that I can get out of him. Please Alexander I just... I just want to know why. I'm not gonna risk being ignorant about it again."

Alec inhaled through his nose. He couldn't help but smile at the fact that Magnus did in fact do that all on his own. He had thrown a knife right into his eyes and his hand. It was impressive. And sexy. Alec walked over to his wheelchair and took a hold of his handlebars. "Well then. We have about ten minutes, so we need to make this fast."

Magnus smiled. "You have a really hard time saying no to me." he said. "I think that that is my superpower in this life of yours."

Alec laughed. "Sure. That's your superpower babe."

* * *

Alec opened up the cell door, looking in for the prisoner. He couldn't help but grin, seeing Azazel in the state that he and his guard had left him in. Scrunched up on the floor. Rope was tightly tied against his every single limb on his body, including his fingers. His breathing was labored as he struggled to breath with the many coils of rope around his chest. Alec turned away from him for a moment, looking back outside the door at Magnus. He gave him a nod of understanding and approval before wheeling him inside of the cell. Magnus looked in. Magnus hadn't been down into the cells since he had first arrived here. But nothing had really changed. It was still completely dark and vile from the first time. Maybe now that he wasn't the prisoner, it was a different feeling. He kept his hands on his knees, gripping up the fabric of his pants again as he looked down at the tied up prisoner. He chewed the inside of cheek in worry as Alec moved from behind his chair and walked over to Azazel, picking him up by the hair. Azazel screamed in pain as he was yanked up. Alec slammed him down against the wall, moving his hands from his hair and instead tightening them against his neck.

Azazel coughed, growling in pain. He turned over to the cabal head, his bad ass attitude coming into play. He kissed his teeth, red starting to stain his teeth. Alec laughed, seeing him right there in front of him. This man was the best assassin and kidnapper. Now he was a hostage for him. He pulled him off of the wall and pushed him down onto his knees. Azazel groaned, struggling to try and fight against his tight restraints. But when Lightwood or his guards tied a knot, the knot stayed. Magnus couldn't help but admire the knots. He wondered what it would be if he had his wrists or whole body restrained like that. Especially by Alec. Alec looked over at Magnus, seeing the way he was looking at it. He quirked his brow. That was something to explore soon enough.

He turned over back to Azazel. He shoved him forward, holding onto the back of his head. "So..." he said. "Have you enjoyed your stay here in casa de Lightwood?"

"Fuck off." Azazel said, almost like a mumble. His bottom lip had been hit was was swelled up. It looked like it had been stung by a bee multiple times.

Alec chuckled. "Listen here, you are going to get fucked up today. I will ruin you. But before I do, you are going to answer his questions." he said, shoving his head up to look at Magnus.

He shoved his head more towards Magnus' face. Magnus didn't flinch. He just stared at him. Azazel growled, looking at him. "Young Bane." he said.

"Pleasure to meet you once again." Magnus said.

"Can't say the same. I never wanted to see you again. Kind of also considering that I can't fully see you to begin with." Azazel sneered, spitting out some blood and motioning to his bandaged up eye.

"I have some questions for you." he said. "About my father."

Azazel rolled his good eye. "I don't have to answer you."

Alec moved over to grip his throat, but Magnus just hummed. Shaking his hand his way and instructing him to stop. Alec listened to him, loosening the grip. He turned his chair over and wheeled towards Alec. His eyebrow raised as he felt Magnus' soft hand press up against his waist. He moved over towards the holster against his thigh, yanking out the small pistol that he had always carried. He rubbed the cool metal of the gun before wheeling back towards Azazel. Getting right in his face. "Well, if you don't want to answer me... the least I can do is this. Make you a deal. You know, the thing that got you into this situation in the first place."

"A deal? Please. What could I possibly want that you can give me?" he asked.

"Let me explain. Alec has every intention of killing and making an example out of you. I am pretty sure that if I let him, he would cut off all of your limbs and leave you out until you either bled to death or until Valentine finds you." Magnus said, staring down at the pistol. Slowly spinning it in a circle with the trigger around his thumb. "Unlike me... the poor, ignorant, stupid, yet devilishly handsome son of Asmodeus Bane."

"Dear God Mags." Alec muttered under his breath.

"The son that knows nothing at all about this life. The innocent one. That's what I am right? But, what you don't know about me is that this is all a damned lie. I am anything but innocent and I am anything but stupid. I am more than willing to just... I dunno... shoot you in the head and make your death swift and painless. But I'm not going to do that. Because that's what you want. You want this to end swiftly. But it's not what you deserve.""

"Y-You're not going to do that. You don't have the g-guts." Azazel's eyes wandered up to Magnus and then he attempted to look back at Alec. Alec gripped his hair tighter, looking up at Magnus. A sly smile moved up his lips as he understood what he was speaking about and what he was planning. Magnus was kind. But there was a dark side to him. A dark side that he found so attractive. Magnus just looked at Azazel, smiling. "He... he wouldn't... he's not that..."

"Don't speak to me." Alec hissed. "He's speaking. Listen or I slam your face in."

"You worked for my father, yes? He was the one that hired you." Magnus said, cutting him. "You know how merciless that he is. And you don't think for one moment, that the man who has his blood running through his veins is just as merciless. Just as evil. Because I am just as merciless. And with one pull of the trigger to someplace on your body, I can end your life and make sure that it is as painful and aggravating as possible. But you want this quick. If you really want your life to end quickly, you answer my questions and tell me what the fuck I want to know."

Azazel shook visibly, terrified that he was genuine about this threat. "W-What do you want to know?"

"My father. What was his purpose in hiring you to kidnap me?"

"Your father might have hired me, but it wasn't his plan that was being carried out here in the manor."

"What do you mean?" Alec asked.

"Your father did pay me handsomely to rescue you at the start. But Valentine Morgenstern who really gave the order. He approached me and gave me an offer that I couldn't refuse."

* * *

_"Azazel."_

_Azazel looked up from the trunk of his car, confused. He was hoping to be left alone to his own devices in order to plan for his mission. He hated being bothered before an assignment. He sighed, throwing a down a roll of gaffer tape and turning over, resting his hand against the raised trunk. He was a bit confused when he saw that Valentine was approaching him. This was weird. The man never approached people. He ordered people to come to him. Valentine smiled at him, one hand stuffed into his trench coat pocket and the other holding a paper bag._ _Azazel raised his eyebrow. "Mr. Morgenstern?" he called. "Good afternoon to you sir."_

_"It's still the morning. There's no need for such extra formalities." Valentine said to him._

_"Once my favorite resturant opens for lunch, it's no longer morning." he said back, turning and closing his trunk. He sighed, turning back to the cabal boss._

_Valentine gave a slight grin, holding out the bag. "Everyone likes a good cronut, so I thought that I would share the welfare."_

_Now he knew that something was going on. He slowly took the bag and set it down a top his car. "How can I help you today sir?"_

_"My son is going on your mission today. The one that Bane hired you for."_

_"That is correct, even though I don't often have others come on kidnapping assignments. Is there something about your son that I should know?"_

_"Oh no. Nothing at all. He's a trained leader and fighter. He will be fine when it comes to taking care of Lightwood. There is just one thing that I would like to ask you however."_

_"Please. Ask away."_

_"How much is Bane paying you for this job?"_

_"I'm sorry... paying me? That's what you want to know?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Alright then." Azazel said. "He paid me around twenty thousand up front. He wants to see his son before he pays more. But I should be getting another five grand when he is returned home safely."_

_"How about a triple the price for you?" Valentine said with a smile, adjusting his sunglasses. Nothing said mob leader like a grown man in dark sunglasses on a sunny New York day._

_"You want to triple my payment?"_

_"And not only that but you can keep the twenty you've already been paid. That's a lot of money when this is all over. You can probably buy a home in some beautiful island and never deal with someone in this life ever again."_

_"And why would you do that?"_

_"I need you to do something for me today. I know that Bane wants you to rescue his son from Lightwood and then bring him back to take revenge on him. But what I_ _need you to do is when you find Bane's son and rescue him and capture Lightwood, split up them into groups. I will send my men to take part in it. Have my men take Lightwood and you and my son will take Magnus Bane. Then drive out far from his lair... say that something's happened to your car or something. When my son gets out to investigate something, knock him out."_

_"What about your mercenaries?"_

_"They work for me. Not my kid. They will be aware of my plan."_

_"What then, should I agree to your terms?" Azazel asked, shrugging his shoulders._

_"If you incapacitate Bane, you need to hide him somewhere. I have dozens of places and I am sure you know these places as well. You'll keep him there and keep him alive." Valentine said. "Once I have things figured out with Bane himself, send Magnus to me."_

_"Why do you want me to do that? Do you have a plan for Bane's son?" Azazel asked._

_Valentine let out a hoarse chuckle. "I have a plan that will change the course of the cabal life and their families. Magnus Bane has been apart of that plan. He is the key to me getting everything that I want."_

_Azazel licked his lips and hummed. "If I do this, you will triple my payment?"_

_"Tell you what, if you can deliver him to me with not one scratch on him... I'll pay you five times the amount Bane would have." Valentine said,_

_Azazel hummed, thinking of what the money could get him. But he grinned, nodding in agreement. He held out his hand. Valentine shook his in return. Valentine then turned on his heel. "And, if I am permitted to ask, what kind of door Magnus will open?"_

_Valentine chuckled. "Not everyone needs to know what's inside certain rooms."_

* * *

Magnus felt disgusted. Completely and utterly disgusted. Hearing that Azazel was willing to just to put him God knows what kind of danger, just for some extra cash? Magnus felt like he was going to hurl, but he needed to keep his composure or else he would throw up. Alec gripped Azazel's hair tighter, yanking it back so that they were looking at each other. "You were going to give him away to Valentine for a pay day?!" he growled.

"That's just life!" Azazel said back, crying out in pain.

"No." Alec snapped. "That's just you being selfish and disgusting."

Magnus gripped the pistol in his hand to hide the shaking feeling he felt. "What does Valentine even want with me? I have nothing to do with this. Any of this." he said.

"I do not know myself young Bane." he said back to him. "He told me nothing. Your father might have paid me first, but his original plan changed with Valentine."

Magnus sighed, covering his face with his hands. Alec slammed Azazel on the ground and walked over to him. He pressed a hand to his thigh. "You alright?" he called, kneeling down.

"I'm fine Alexander." he whispered back.

"Magnus I... I'm really sorry. If I-"

"No really... it's alright Alexander. I'll be alright."

Alec didn't believe him. But he nodded at him anyways. Magnus turned over at Azazel. Azazel was looking up at him from the ground. "I answered your questions. I did what you asked." he sneered. "Now put me out of my misery."

Magnus exhaled, slowly raising the pistol. Azazel smiled, forcing himself onto his knees. He hopped over towards Magnus so close that his forehead pressed up against the barrel. Magnus smiled. "Rest in peace then." he said, clicking the trigger. Azazel awaited to be awoken in hell. But there was nothing. He opened his eyes and saw the gun still pressed up against his forehead. Magnus was looking down at him. A significantly plain and unemotional face staring back at him. "I hate my father. But if I am honest, if we do have one thing in common... it's that we're both liars."

Azazel's eyes widened. He looked at Alec. He had a sadistic look in his face. "No... no! No! I told you everything!"

"That you did. Thanks but... he's all yours Alec." Magnus said back.

Alec smiled, cracking his knuckles.


	37. Chapter 37

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, before we start, I really want to rant and tell you all something. So, during my me time (one way to get myself back into a sane mental state) I was watching a video from one of my favorite YouTubers, [Saberspark](https://www.youtube.com/user/Saberspark). And he posted this video on a movie called Red Shows and the Seven Dwarfs. I knew the movie myself beforehand. I remembered how harmful the trailers and the ads were for this film back in 2016/17, because I think that being beautiful or having beauty shouldn't have a size. And in a bigger prospect, the ads were harmful to many bigger girls, who already struggle enough with the world's disgusting beauty standards. It hurt me even, because of my body dysmorphia.
> 
> But I watched some of the Saberspark video, learning about the movie studio, their story and the story behind the film itself. And I gotta tell you, I was intrigued. I love fairy tales, I love romance and I have a strange fascination when it comes to animated films and animation in general. I can admire it from all aspects and passion projects (instead of money grabs like Toy Story 4 and Frozen 2) are my absolute favs.
> 
> So I found myself a way to watch the film thanks to a guy on TikTok. I watched it by myself at 4 am. And let me tell you all, the film is NOT at all like the ads. It is literally so good! It's actually currently one my favorite's for the month (besides Polar Mandarin Seltzer & Neflix's She-Ra). I think that the ad itself was unfortunate when it came to the movie, because it was actually really good!
> 
> I implore you to find a way to see this film (I can supply the link I used) and the email Netflix, Hulu or Amazon to pick it up to watch. It was really good and I think that it deserves some sort of praise. The animation is beautiful and structured. The voice acting is superb. And now I'm a Snow and Merlin shipper! Which is the best thing when I find new ships! Everything about it is literally breathtaking, take my word for it. Trust me, it puts you in a really good mood after watching it. Especially if you are insecure like me.
> 
> So, if you live in a country where it is viewable, WATCH IT. If not, email and do what you can. It really is a nice movie and it would make my day if you guys would watch one of my favorite films to date.
> 
> Okay. Anyways, you guys enjoy this update. It's one of my favorites as I get to have my revenge on a certain Azazel. 😈💜
> 
> (Oh, and this might be super duper late but Happy Pride Month 🏳️🌈🌈💛)

Asmodeus stepped out of his car as quickly as he could without tripping. His heart beating wildly with worry written all over his face. His son could be right here right now. No. His son had to be here. He was here. So close to finally holding him again. To keeping him safe again. Jonathan couldn't have been that incompetent and just left his son to continue being a hostage to Alec Lightwood. He shoved himself past some of his own men, marching towards Valentine's car. Valentine stepped out himself, adjusting his sweater. "What have you found?" he demanded to him.

"I just got a call from Jonathan. I am not completely sure what it is about." he said, picking up his gun from one of his men.

Asmodeus huffed, pulling out his own, He clicked off the safety and clicked on his aim light. Slowly, the two moved towards out of the trees and towards a gigantic home. Asmodeus whistled, actually impressed with the size. "So this is Lightwood manor." he said to him.

"Who knew that he would have been hiding in Westchester." Valentine said.

"Bastard knew that it was far from us." Asmodeus huffed.

"Father."

The two turned over quickly. Asmodeus lowered his gun, seeing the tall son of his partner. Valentine shoved his gun into it's holster, running to him. "Jonathan." he called, looking at the wounds all over his face. Dried blood was dripping from the top of his head. His lip was busted and swollen. He was holding onto his left arm tightly.

"Lightwood." he hissed back, knowing the question that he was going to ask.

Valentine tore off his scarf and handed it to his son. Jonathan took it and did his best to wipe off the dry blood. "Where did he go?" he asked.

"I have no idea." he said. "All of us that got out were really hurt. The place was on lock down and Lightwood was nothing shy of a beast."

"How did you escape if the place was shut down?" Valentine asked.

"We hid inside of the place, by the doors. And then left when the walls were raised. After we managed the escape, we hid here in the woods. Most of us passed out." he explained honestly. "I'm sorry father. We tried."

"You did what you could." he responded.

"Sure he did." Asmodeus muttered under his breath.

Valentine had to agree, but he wouldn't say it out loud. "Did you find Magnus though?"

"I did."

"Where was he?!" Asmodeus yelled, shoving Valentine aside. "Is he safe? What happened to him Jonathan?"

"Lightwood happened. What do you think?" he responded.

"That motherfucker." he yelled.

"Where is Azazel? Did he get out with you?" Valentine asked.

"I'm not sure." Jonathan said. "If Lightwood is still inside of the manor though, he should be alive. He must be inside of one of his cells."

"Alright then." Valentine said. He turned to the men around him. "Circle the place, we're breaking in."

Asmodeus huffed, storming off towards the front door. All of their trained men and mercenaries raised their guns at the door. They stayed still, letting only Asmodeus and Valentine to move. They slowly moved up the tall steps towards the door. Asmodeus' eyes wandered, taking in the surroundings apart from the manor itself. He noticed a couple of cars that still lingered in the background. Someone had to be home then. Valentine moved over, raising his gun to the doorknob. He pressed his hand against it, twisting it and feeling it locked. He scoffed. He held up a hand to everyone behind him. Signalling. Jonathan held his breath. He was hoping that Magnus was still in there and that he wasn't hurt. God, what if Lightwood had threatened him now that there was a rescue attempt? What if he had beat him after this entire thing? He growled, snatching a gun from someone next to him and aiming. He wanted his head. Valentine leaned up, slamming his boot to the doorknob and watching as it snapped off. Everyone behind the three sprinted inside of the room, raising their guns inside of the room. Everyone ended up stopping when they entered and freezing. They looked up, seeing the only visible thing inside of the room. They stood in the dark foyer, every painting and vase taken away from it. The only thing there and really visible was something hanging from the ceiling. Well, someone. Two arms were tied separately but hanging from the broken chandelier. One of the guards screamed in shock.

It was Azazel. He was completely and utterly pale. His skin like Snow White's. His face was rolled down and his eyes almost looked blank. No visible color from his iris. But there was pain still in the dead cold eye. But that wasn't the shocking instance. He was hanging from his arms, yes. But his legs were completely cut off from his body. Some of his bones and intestines were hanging from his ripped torso and abdomen. His legs were thrown across the room, both of them separated as well. One was on the left side of the room, the other in the right corner. The blood of the assassin was spilled against the expensive looking marble.

Jonathan started breathing heavily. He hunched over, puking at the sight as soon as he looked upon it. Multiple people did the same thing, turning away to do so. Valentine went pale. Asmodeus' heart seemed to stop it's beating. He moved over, looking up at him. He slowly moved his hand up to try and touch his corpse. As soon as he did, Azazel started to scream. Asmodeus jumped back. Jonathan screamed out as well, in shock. Azazel screamed on the top of his lungs, blood continuing to drip from his lower body. He was shaking in pain as tears feel from his eyes. Valentine's eyes widened, seeing him still alive. He gripped his gun and slowly raised it. Quickly shooting him right in the forehead three times. Azazel's head fell back. This time, he was surely dead. Asmodeus covered his face as some blood spattered against his cheeks and forehead. Valentine threw down his gun, turning over to throw up for himself. Asmodeus sighed, looking back up at his dead colleague. He looked over and some of the fallen body parts. He pushed some of them away and picked up a white piece of paper. It was barely white now. Blood stained the paper and caused it to rip a tad. Asmodeus flipped it aside, seeing something written into it.

_You invaded my home and killed my people. This is war. I'm coming after you fuckers._

Asmodeus turned over, handing the paper to Valentine. He stepped forward, wiping the bile from the corner of his lips. He took the paper and read it for himself. Asmodeus growled, wiping the blood off of his fingers. Jonathan walked over, reading from over his father's shoulder. He inhaled sharply. "Father..." he called.

Valentine exhaled. "If it's a war that he wants, then it's a war that he will get." he said.

"You can't be serious." called one of the men in the back. "Look at him!He's been ripped apart."

"Lightwood will do much worse in a mob war." called another.

"I don't recall asking for any of your opinions on this!" Valentine boomed. They all shut up. He cleared his throat, looking over at Asmodeus and Jonathan. "Whether he realizes it or not, he is the one that started this mess. He started an entire war just by kidnapping your son. Isn't that right Asmodeus."

Asmodeus snarled. "He did."

"Then the only logical thing to do is give him what he wants. If it's a fight he is rooting for, then a fight he surely will get. Now all of you, get out! We have a change of plans."

Everyone nodded, following the order and moving out of the foyer. Asmodeus followed Valentine and Jonathan out. "An entire war though?" Jonathan whispered.

"Yes. This is Alec Lightwood we're speaking of. He has too much power and he just thinks that he can just kidnap the son of Asmodeus Bane and keep him from himself? I don't think so. Not at all." Valentine said. "There is only one option now and that is shooting him down and ending his cabal."

"I thought that you would be happy about this more than anyone." Asmodeus said. "You'd get Magnus back."

"There has to be some other way." he said back, looking down at his hands.

"No. There is no other way. He declared war when he took Magnus in the first place. It is obviously a battle that he wants. So a battle we shall give him. End of discussion." Valentine said, stepping out of the manor.

"What about this place?" Jonathan asked.

"There are cars here. Lightwood must be hiding someplace. I doubt that he would want to get rid of this home that has been here for so long. It is family history. And family is everything to a Lightwood" Valentine explained, stepping back onto the flat cobblestone. "We shall wait out here then until-"

Valentine was silenced by the gigantic boom coming from behind him and a giant wave of heat pushed all three men down against the ground. Some of their men fell. But a good few stayed standing. They rushed over to their leaders. "Mr. Bane!" some called.

"Get Valentine and his son!" called to them, shoving them away.

Asmodeus was pushed up onto feet, disregarding the weak feeling in his legs. Valentine pushed himself back up. But Jonathan stayed on the ground, still weak from his one on one battle with Lightwood himself. He turned over and pretty much lost his breath. The giant manor was burning now. Flames covered the entire home. Burning debris fell down from the roof. Windows were exploding from the heat. The entire home was now turning into a big pile of debris.

Asmodeus turned away from the house, not wanting to witness it burning down to the ground. Now with this explosion, he had no connections. No leads to finding his son. He pushed his men out of the way. "I'm killing that son of a bitch." he growled. "He's dead!"

Valentine turned over, hearing his outburst. He then turned back, helping his son off of his feet. Jonathan growled. "Why would be set his own house on fire?" he asked.

"Leave no evidence behind. We can't find him and neither can any suspecting rangers. The body will burn. The house will burn. And everyone will just think that it was some sort of accident." Valentine said, hissing. "Let's get out of here."

Jonathan nodded, following his father towards the car. He had never felt so defeated. He had failed Magnus. He had never felt like more of a failure than in this moment.

* * *

Alec felt the pang in his pocket, slowly waking him up again. He moved over, pulling out his phone and reading it. The text was simple and vague. But he knew exactly what it meant. _It's done._ He nodded, leaning his head against the cushiony padding of his car. That was it. That was all. That was the end of his home. The only home that he had ever known. Alec turned over, looking over at the body right next to his. He couldn't help but smile, forgetting about the manor for the moment. Magnus reminded him so much of a kitten. The way his nose twitched as he slept. The way that his arms were curled upwards against his chest. He moved his arm over, wrapping it around Magnus, almost protectively. He was so beautiful. The most perfect person that he had known. Everything was different now that he was here with him. Suddenly, the emotion he felt for his home was gone. Magnus made it better. Even though he wasn't even conscious. This entire life that he lived had been flipped upside down when he entered it. And Alec didn't care anymore. He was willing to take the risk when it came to him, no matter how cliche it sounded.

Alec looked up, seeing a familiar landmark come into view. He tapped on the glass that separated him and his driver, signaling to come to a halt. Alec turned over to Magnus, lightly shaking him. Magnus hummed, slowly sitting up. "Alexander."

Alec smiled down at him. "Hey."

"What time is it?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.

"I have no idea." Alec lied. "I just know that we're here."

Magnus raised his eyebrow. Alec opened the door to the car, exiting out. He held out his hand to him. helped Magnus maneuver out of the car. Alec quickly brought out his wheelchair and helped Magnus sit. He then turned the chair and pointed. Magnus turned over, seeing the only beautiful building there. It was an old church. It seemed weathered out and worn from the outside. Dust covering it. Wooden boards stopping people from entering. But it added to the beauty. Like it was truly a piece of history. "Woah."he called.

"I know how it looks from the outside." Alec explained. "But it's the inside the makes the whole thing up."

Alec wheeled him towards the church. Magnus looked over, seeing how wonderful the place was. It looked like it was straight out a Disney movie. Alec moved him to the back of the church and towards the cellar door, knocking off the weeds. snow and trash around it and opening it up. Magnus looked down as best as he could without falling down the hole or off of the chair in general. It looked dark and deep. Like a rabbit hole. Alec noticed his forming worry. He moved over and jumped in first. Magnus expected to hear a loud bang and no longer see him as he was lost into the deep abyss. But Alec, in his six feet glory, showed him that it wasn't that bad. He held his arms for Magnus. He inhaled, slowly going off of his wheelchair and jumping into Alec's waiting arms. Alec held him comfortingly and protectively by the waist. He turned over, seeing a set of steps. They would have to come back for the chair then later. Alec closed the doors and they slowly went down the steps. "Where does this lead?" Magnus asked, wrapping his arms around Alec's neck.

"To the main ops room." Alec said.

"Ops room?"

"Yeah. It's basically like the foyer of my old manor. But people do work and research there."

"Why not just use the front door then?"

"It's boarded up for a reason kitten."

Magnus blushed, but huffed all the same. He crossed his arms across his chest. Alec moved down the steps. They approached another set of the stairs, this one going upwards again. "Was or is this staircase an escape route?" he asked.

"Yes, it is. Good eye." Alec said, going up the steps. Alec opened up the door from the other staircase, stepping out of a small closet. Alec set Magnus down gently onto his good foot as he closed the door.

He turned over, seeing the look of awe in Magnus' face. The outside and inside was completely night and day. The outside looked crumbled up to shit. But the inside was so high tech. Every was still being set up, but there was blue lights all over. Technological advances everywhere. He smiled seeing how wonderful it looked. "How long has this been being set up?"

"Most stuff has been set up already for an occasion like this." Alec said.

"How big is this place?"

"A bit bigger than my manor. There are plenty of rooms ready for use. Training rooms, kitchens, bedrooms."

"You really are expedient about this life aren't you Alexander?" Magnus said with a chuckle.

Alec chuckled back. "No one can be too prepared in a life like this." he said. "Come on. Let me take you to your bedroom."

Magnus nodded as Alec turned over and started to carry him out. "Are you going to live here as well?"

"Yes." he said. "But I have other places in mind just in case something happens." Alec turned over towards Magnus. "You know, I just wanted to say... this morning... with Azazel, that was very cool of you. Very bad ass."

"I just couldn't let him get away with what he had done. I couldn't let him cheat out of his deserved punishment and have a quick death. He deserved to suffer for what he had done. And I let you take care of that."

"You know, for someone who has such a heart of gold and care for others, you have quite the dark side."

"Dark side? I don't have a dark side. At least I don't think so."

"No offense, but you're a Bane. You have a dark side in you. I'm pretty sure that you have a evil part of you that just needs the opportunity to come out. And I appreciate it coming out for a scum like Azazel."

"Maybe that's going to happen again with this Valentine."

Alec raised his eyebrow with a grin, opening the door to one of the rooms. He slowly moved over to the bed and set him down. Magnus smiled feeling how soft the mattress was. Alec knelt down to his level, pressing his lips to Magnus'. Magnus kissed him back. Alec had lips like no other. He was an amazing kisser. He slowly pulled back, smiling as he pressed his forehead to Magnus. "I um... I know that we've just dealt with a lot and that the sun basically just rose, but I have somethings to take care of right now."

"I understand that Alexander."

"But, it's not a lot. Not too much. Like what you might expect. Once I am done taking care of what I need to, which will be quick... would you like to go out to dinner?" he said.

"Like here? Or like out? In the city?" Magnus asked.

"I'd like to take you out if you do not mind." Alec said. "Maybe some dinner? A stroll in the night?"

Magnus blushed, quickly smiling. "I think that I'd like that after a long nap." he said. "I'd love to go out with you Alexander. But only if you get some sleep as well."

Alec smiled. "I promise." He took his hand in his, kissing the side of his palm before slowly moving out of the room. Magnus smiled. He looked down, trying to get his cheeks to cool down just a small bit.


	38. Chapter 38

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Three consecutive updates! Hope that you're proud of me and of these little chapters! So, let us address somethings. One, I'm sorry if the way that Azazel was tortured was a bit too graphic. I wanted it to be dramatic because he deserved it. I'm sorry if it really made you sick or shocked. I'll warn you all next time. Sorry. Secondly, I just want you guys to know how much I appreciate you all for reading this story. These chapters, they're my babies. And it means a lot to read your comments. I want you guys to know that, even though I don't respond as often as I used to. I really do love you guys and I hope that you guys really enjoy the story. Hugs and many many kisses my loves 💚
> 
> (Btw, if I don't update on Saturday, it is probably because I will be recovering from the Hamilton film. It goes up at 3 AM in my time zone. So... that is when I will be awake. lol)

"I should go on and take my leave now." Raphael said with a head nod, looking over at the cabal leader in front of.

Alec hummed, keeping his wrists crossed behind his back as he spoke. "You do know that you don't have to go back to Bane and the Morgensterns. I can keep you protected here and you can work alongside me." he said.

"I appriecate the offer sir. But Bane has no idea what I have done yet. He and Morgenstern believe that I am currently keeping an eye on Clary and taking care of his weaponry, and I intend to keep it that way. If Clary and I all of a sudden hide out here, Bane and her father will suspect something." he said, looking over at Clary. She was sitting on one of the steps leading to the other rooms. Jace was sitting beside her, allowing her to doze off on his shoulder. He smiled, looking down at the lovely smile on her lips. "Besides, I need to bring Clary back as well. If something should happen to her, I am sure that both me and Magnus will lose it."

"She can stay here as well. I do not want Valentine to try anything." Jace added from his spot.

"He won't since he doesn't know that either of us have left." Raphael said to him. "And if I am going to help you stop Valentine, I need to continue spying on him. Staying in his good graces and his high ranks with Bane will be that opportunity."

Alec nodded, understanding the reasoning. "Alright then. I understand and respect that." he said, turning over to one of the screens in his ops center. He went inside the small pocket on his blazer and turned over to him. He held out the small card to him.

Raphael raised his eyebrow, taking it. "What is this?"

"Might be a little strange for a cabal leader, but this is my business card. Fair warning though, you must burn it after you write down all of the numbers and information there." he said. "My personal number is there along with two of my secret ones. Jace's number is there as well. There is also a couple burner phones there that I have not used as of yet. If anything should happen, you have a way to contact me."

Raphael nodded, shoving the card in his pant pocket. "Thank you sir. Hopefully we will be in touch." he said, holding out his hand. Alec smiled, shaking it gentlemanly. Raphael moved over towards the steps, pulling Clary safely into his arms, allowing her to keep sleeping. Jace stood up, moving his lips to try and say something. But he couldn't find the words. Raphael exhaled, noticing his worry, and gave the blonde a smile. "I will make sure that she texts you when she wakes up." he said.

Jace smiled. It was exactly what he wanted to say. "T-Thank you." he said.

He nodded, turning over to Alec. "I'll get as much information as I can for you." he said. "You keep Magnus safe for me."

"I will." he said.

Raphael gave them both a curt nod, before following Alec's men out towards the exit. Jace sighed, walking over to his brother. "Do you really think that he can get information out of Valentine?"

"He is Asmodeus' right hand. I think that he will be able to slowly work his way up to gaining full trust." he said.

Jace sighed. He crossed his arm across his chest and looked over at him. "So, what did Azazel tell you this morning?"

Alec turned over to him. "Azazel was hired by Asmodeus originally to kidnap both me and Magnus." he said, moving with him away from the main screens. "But Valentine offered to pay Azazel more than money last minute. The plan was to to get to me and Magnus. But he would take Magnus away."

"Away to where?"

"To Valentine himself."

"Why the hell would do that?"

"Money talks." he said.

"No. Not Azazel. Valentine. What reason could he have for kidnapping Magnus? Valentine wouldn't just be so generous to pay for no reason. No matter how much money one has, they will want to save it and not spend it for no reason. He offered that amount because he knew that he would be getting something he really needed. So what in the hell does Valentine want with Magnus?"

"That's what I need to figure out. Not only that, but I am apparently apart of this equation. I was also supposed to be kidnapped last night."

"I know what he wants with you. For sure, Valentine wants your spot." Jace said. "That guy from before, the one we had locked in the cells had said so."

"I know, I know, I remember. But I don't know at the same time." Alec said, sighing and slapping on hand on his face. Jace rubbed his cheek, seeing as it started to redden. "Ugh! This is fucking frustrating! Magnus has absolutely nothing to do with how much power I have or had before. He was mundane."

"I think that Valentine is just trying to please his son. By bringing Magnus to him so they could... be together maybe?"

"That can't be. Valentine paid Azazel off to take him away from Jonathan without his knowledge. There is something that _he_ alone wants with him. Something that he couldn't himself by being a cabal head. And I wish I knew what it was since Azazel himself didn't even know."

Jace nodded. "You'll figure it out. You always do. And with Raphael helping us, everything will turn out just fine." he said. Alec nodded, looking over at the screen, seeing as it was starting to set up. Jace bit his lip. "Soooo..."

"What do you want this time? Money?"

"I just want to know how you and Magnus are doing? Jeez, do I asked for money that much?"

"Yes you do. And any reason why you're asking." Alec asked.

"No. I just want to know. We're friends... and friends tell friends things. Right?"

"We're not friends. We're brothers."

"So we're even closer! That means that I deserve to know then."

"We're doing fine. I guess. Well, we are um... we a... um... I don't know actually! I don't know how this whole dating thing works."

"Well if you want my professional opinion-" Jace said, wiggling his eyebrows.

"You're not a professional and I didn't ask for your opinion." Alec said to him, his eyes darkening as he lowered his eyebrows.

"I think that the two of you are really cute and adorable when around each other. Therefore, this whole little mystery mission will bring you closer together as a couple."

"We're not a couple... at least not yet."

"So... you are going to ask him to be your boyfriend?"

"Why you stringing out long like that?"

"Because that is my duty to you as a brother. To bother you about serious topics." Jace said to him with a smile, giving him finger guns. Alec just stared at him as if he had grown another head. "Are you taking him to dinner tonight?"

"I am." he said, before his eyes widened. He slammed his palms against the one of the ops desks. "And I just realized that I have no idea what to do on dates."

"What do you mean?"

"I didn't take guys on dates before. We just had sex. The only thing close that I have for this is when I met guys in clubs."

"Is this your way of asking me to help you?"

"Do you I really have to say it out loud?"

Jace kissed his teeth, smiling wide. "I would appreciate it." he said to him. Alec rolled his eyes, just staring at him. Jace kept on looking at him. He was waiting. Alec rolled his eyes.

"Jace... please." he huffed.

"Where exactly did you want to take him?" Jace asked him. leaning against the wall and crossing his ankles.

"I wanted to take him to dinner." he said.

"Dinner? How creative of you."

"Jace."

"Okay, okay, okay. There's this place that I know that has a nice sit in room. Beautiful decor, beautiful music for a beautiful person."

"Can you send me the address?"

"Sure man." Jace said, slapping his back.

Alec hummed, turning away from his brother for a moment in thought. _Maybe I can take him to his bookstore after_ , he thought. _We can find that book that he liked. I think that he might have lost it in the explosion. We can read together too._

Alec looked back over at his brother a small smile forming on his lips. "I might have thought of something."

"Well hey! Look at you! Getting ideas. Getting all flustered and excited for your date with Mr. Right." Jace said, making his hands into fists and swinging them from side to side.

Alec chuckled. "He's different that's for sure."

"When's the wedding?"

"Fuck off and get ready, we have to hurry up and leave."

* * *

Raphael quickly tucked Clary into bed, making sure that she was warm and comfortable, before rushing out of the room. He hurried down the steps, hearing doors begin to open and cars come to a stop. He looked over at the doors, seeing all of Valentine's and Asmodeus' men pile in. He huffed, sending out a silent prayer. He hoped that his acting skills would get him through this. If he blew this now, who knows what would be in store for Magnus. He rushed through some people, trying to get to Asmodeus. He had blood on his face and ask covering his nose and cheeks. Along with what looked like soot from a fire. But the one telling thing was that he looked completely and utterly pissed off. "Oh my..." he whispered.

"Raphael." Asmodeus greeted in a huff.

Raphael moved over, swinging his arm over his shoulders. "Let me get you into a seat." he said to him.

Asmodeus sighed. He wasn't that injured, but he knew how much that Raphael always prodded. So he just nodded. Valentine and Jonathan moved to follow him, the two wanting nothing more than a bed or some alcohol. Raphael's eyes wandered over to the Morgenstern's only son. "What happened?" he said, trying his best to try and show anger. Even though he knew that Magnus was alright with Alec and the Lightwood cabal. "Where is Magnus?!"

"Please calm down Santiago." Asmodeus said as Raphael sat him down into a lounge chair. Raphael stood up, telling him with only his hands to stay put as he rushed out of the room.

He came back just as quick as he left, carrying a tray filled with hot tea and some medical supplies. He set down the tray and poured out cups of tea for Valentine, Asmodeus and Jonathan. Jonathan smiled, taking the tea gratefully while adding sugar cubes. Raphael picked up an alcohol wipe and started to wipe at Asmodeus' face. He called out to another man there, ordering him to quickly go over and get the Morgenstern's doctor. He turned back over, his eyes wandering up to Valentine. He looked more frustrated than anyone here. Which was strange. He sighed, looking back at his boss as he wiped away some of the blood and ash. "What happened out there?" he said, turning over and looking around.

"Lightwood happened." Jonathan huffed, gripping his cup tightly. "I was so... so close."

"Close? What transpired then if you had gone with the sole purpose to rescue him?" he said, looking over at Asmodeus.

"That's what I thought too." Asmodeus said, sighing. He sat up, but ended up hissing from his sore back. "I'm fine Raphael. Please." he said before the younger man could scold him.

Raphael nodded, pulling the wipe away. "What happened Jonathan? Tell me please." he said again.

Jonathan sighed. Raphael rubbed his lips together. He got up from where he was and moved over, ready to punch him in the face. Playing his part right. Valentine stood in front of him, pushing him away with his arm. "Easy now." he said.

"Easy? My best friend is still a hostage after you said you were going to save him!" Raphael yelled, pushing past him and pointing at him with his finger right in Jonathan's face.

"He has a very good point." Asmodeus pointed out. "For all that I know, my son could be dead right or he could have been inside of that manor when it exploded!"

"There is no evidence of that!" Valentine said.

 _There was an explosion?_ , Raphael thought. _He really blew up his home? Wow. That is so Lightwood. Of course that was something he would have done that. No witnesses. No one to find clues. Magnus is even more safe now, thank God._

"But it could have happened!" Asmodeus yelled.

"Please sir. Calm down." Jonathan stated, trying to diffuse the situation.

"What the hell happened Jonathan?! You tell me why my son isn't here!"

Jonathan sighed, just as the doctor walked inside of the very tense room. Valentine forced his son to sit down in a similar chair to Asmodeus', dismissing the other guards inside and promising them medical assistance and treatment when they were done having their conversation. The doctor moved over, cleaning the dried blood from around his boss' head and looking for the cut that was there.

"Look... I did find him." Jonathan said finally as the doors shut. "He must have escaped from wherever he was being kept because he looked horrified."

Asmodeus sat up, setting down his tea. "How was he? Was he alright? Was he hurt at all?!"

"Did he look like he was in any sort of pain?" Raphael added.

"He had a broken ankle. Or knee. Something was up with his leg because it was in a cast." Jonathan said. "He was in a wheelchair as well. When I found him, the manor was already in it's lock down sequence. I was going to try and hide with him until Azazel found a way to open the doors and windows. But Lightwood... he... ugh! That son of a bitch attacked me. I don't know what the bastard was thinking?! What was wrong with him?! Why did he want Magnus in the first place?!"

"Do not worry about it my son." Valentine said, sitting next to him and holding his shoulders." Everything will be okay."

 _For you or for him?_ , Raphael couldn't help but think.

"How will it be okay?" Jonathan asked him, raising his eyebrow.

"Because after this stunt he pulled, we will most definately be going to war." he answered.

Raphael turned over to him. "War?" he repeated.

"Yes." Valentine said to him, sipping the rest of his tea. "Lightwood is withholding Bane's son from us. Even after we have been demanding him back. And he had threatened us."

Valentine most to continue, when there was a knock at the door to the main room. They all turned over. The door opened, two people moving in. Clary walked in first, a soft fleece blanket wrapped around her shoulders. Jonathan instantly stood up, disregarding his injuries and moved over to his sister. Her eyes widened. She hadn't even known the full extent of his injuries from the Lightwood infiltration, since they left. Now she saw them fully. "Oh Jonathan." she whispered.

"Why are you down here? Especially with no shoes on?" he asked her, moving over and picking her up bridal style. Ignoring the cries of the doctor who was trying to help his soreness.

She chuckled. She looked over at Raphael, reading the look on his face. He was so close to getting some information. Clary sighed, knowing that now she could pull teeth since Jonathan was overprotective and loving when it came to her. "I saw your doctor come down. I got worried."

Valentine smiled. "There's no need for you to worry my dearest Clarissa. We're merely just discussing revenge." he said, turning over to the other man that had entered. "I thought that I made it clear that this is a private conversation."

"I understand that. I'm sorry sir. But I just received a letter about one of your shipments." the man said, holding out a piece of clean, crisp paper.

Valentine snatched it out of his hand, looking down at it. Raphael raised his eyebrow. This could be a piece of the puzzle. Jonathan spoke up first, saying the same thing that he was wondering. "What is it father?" he asked, pushing away the doctor once all of his cuts were patched up.

Valentine put a smile on his face, folding the paper. "Nothing to worry about." he said, handing it back to the man. "Put this in my office would you?"

The man nodded, taking it and rushing out. Clary turned back over, putting a pout on his lip. "Did you find Magnus? Is he okay?" she asked, trying to look as adorable as possible.

"We did find him my dear." Asmodeus answered. "But we could not rescue him."

Clary hung her head low. Jonathan looked over at her. "But don't worry. We're getting rid of Lightwood." he said, cupping her cheek.

 _She's good at getting to the two of them_ , Raphael thought.

"Lightwood is going to be getting the fight of his life if he thinks that we're just going to sit here and allow him to hold my son hostage." Asmodeus said. Raphael smiled. Asmodeus smiled as well, thinking that he was on his side. He got up. "I must go now. I have to get my men to a hospital." he said. "Let's go Raphael."

He nodded, standing up. "That is understandable. I unfortunately have a meeting to attend as well." Valentine said.

Valentine rubbed the bottom of his chin as he begun his goodbyes, sitting back down and pouring himself some more tea. "I guess I will see you tomorrow then Bane." he said. "Get some rest. You too... Raphael."

Raphael curtly nodded before hurrying to catch up with Bane. Valentine hummed. _He knows something_ , he said.

* * *

Alec slowly pulled himself out of his car, adjusting his tie and blazer. He turned over to Jace, who was sitting in the driver's seat. He was gripping the steering wheel very hard. Despite the gloves on his hands, Alec could see his brother's knuckles shine through. He exhaled. "I'll be back in about five minutes, don't worry." he said. "If I'm not back in ten or fifteen, I give you permission to go all trigger happy."

Jace nodded, finding some relaxation in those words. He pried his hand off of the steering wheel and leaned back into his car seat. Alec pulled himself out of the car. He turned over, seeing a few of his guards pull out to follow him wherever he went. The three of them moved inside of the building. The bartender looked up from her spot, cleaning a beer glass. Her eyes widened and she squeaked in fear, turning over to her boss. She whispered to him. He looked up and cleared his throat. "Well, uh... hello there Mr. Lightwood." the man said. His voice thick like an old timey sailor. "It is truly a pleasure for you to come to my pub. Can I get you a table?"

"No thanks man, that's not needed. I'm here to meet someone. And I am pretty sure that you know whom." Alec said to him, looking over and adjusting his pocket square.

The man nodded. "Yes... yes... um, I believe that your associate is in the back." he said. Alec hummed, tilting his head in acknowledgment.

Alec walked through the entrance, following the owner. He led him over through the back, where there were multiple tables and a large bar. Private from the rest of the patrons. The man pointed over towards the back. Alec nodded, making his way over to him. He snapped his fingers, almost announcing his presence. A few of the drunkards inside, looked up at the sound. As soon as Alec's aura was sensed through their still impaired minds, they rushed out of the room. Alec sat down at the bar, tapping his fingers against the stack of napkins. That bartender smiled at him, even though he was shaking like a leaf. He hurried to make a drink. "Morgenstern." Alec called.

Valentine chuckled. "Now, now, is there any need for those kind of formalities Alexander?" he said. "Just call me Valentine."

"That word is for love. And from the bastard I see and smell sitting in front me, there is no hint of love coming off of you. The only love you have is for money or power." Alec sneered. "And I _highly_ suggest that you do not call me by my first name, Morgenstern."

Valentine hummed. "Well, we are here now. Together. What should I threaten you with this time?"

"I think that I will be the one here doing the threatening." Alec said. The bartender returned, setting down a martini. Alec gave him a gracious yet silent thank you.

Valentine pulled out a roll of cash and handed it over to the bartender. "Now scram kid."

He nodded, hurrying out of the room like everyone else had before. Alec took a sip of the drink, his finger fiddling with the toothpick as he got his words together. "Krokodyl. I thought that you knew better than to try something like that.." he said.

"I'm sorry, did you just say crocodile?" Valentine said to him, kissing his teeth.

"You do not want to play dumb with me. But if you do, I'm gonna open fire on your ass." Alec said. He set down his martini, slapping Valentine's scotch from his hand. "I warned you! Long before! No hard drugs in my city! First you started lacing shit, now this?! You're lucky I caught it when I did!"

"Laced drugs? Me?" Valentine said, remaining his calm composure. He slowly getting up and meeting him in the eyes. "You think that I am able to take care of things like that? I'm not capable. But, hey! We're not on the right topic here. We all know what we should be speaking about."

"I'm calling the shots here! Not you! Watch your ass before I shove my boot in it!" he snarled.

Morgenstern took a step back, knowing that Alec would not hesitate to attack. "A man is dead, I think that I should take the player one controller in this game we play." he said. "You killed someone of mine. Someone that I knew and worked with."

"Oh! The kidnapper? I'm so sorry for your loss. Or should I say losses?"

"You sick son of a bitch."

"You sent a kidnapper after me and an innocent young man. You are lucky that I didn't just shot you in your face when I walked inside of this bar for the two strikes you hit."

"Azazel wasn't just a kidnapper. That is not what he told me. Professional hit man and professional kidnapper. He came after me, my home-"

"And Magnus Bane. You know, the man that you have been keeping hostage."

"He is not a hostage!" Alec yelled. "How dare you?!"

"How dare I? Isn't he Magnus Bane's son? And it was your men that had him kidnapped! Letting him go is a simple choicethat you refused to take." Valentine said back, moving behind the bar and picking up another glass and pouring more scotch in a new glass. "You are holding him hostage illegally."

"I actually am not you twig. I am protecting him. From you." Alec said to him. "You don't think that Azazel sang to me like a bird before I sliced him like ham? Don't try and play the word game with me when I know what I know. I don't know what you want with Magnus, but I will find out. And this is your only warning Morgenstern. Stay away from him."

"Or what Lightwood?" Valentine asked.

Alec chuckled, downing the rest of his martini. He turned over and back handed Valentine right across the face. He fell down in a heap. Alec chuckled. He grabbed him by the hair and slammed his face down into the bar, cracking it's glass. He snarled, grabbing one of his arms as he tried a counter attack, as twisting it tightly behind his back. "This is me being nice. Imagine what it is like when I am dead set on killing your ass. Now... you best stop selling that laced shit in my city or I will hunt you and your son down." he said, letting go of his hair. "You attacked my home, my family and him. My men are dead. Get prepared for a fucking war."

Valentine groaned as Alec stomped out of the room. He growled, shaking in rage.


	39. Chapter 39

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There hasn't been a lady of the cabal in decades.
> 
> Alec wouldn't mind having Magnus by his side and becoming the first gentleman of the cabal.
> 
> Maryse no longer wants to be apart of the Lightwood cabal drama. She wants to solve it without bloodshed. And that means diving deep into her past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! I didn't update this Saturday, as you can see. But I have a good reason. I went on a trip with my family for the weekend and that Saturday is when we were driving home together. So I had no WiFi to edit to chapter or post it. Sorry.
> 
> I also spent that Friday watching Hamilton in Disney Plus. I have no regrets. NONE! I loved every minute of it!
> 
> Anyways, enjoy! 🤗🤎

Alec inhaled, looking out at all of the choices in front of him. He could pick out the right gun for any mission in a millisecond, but he couldn't pick out which flowers were the best. He felt very small inside of this flower shop. There were so many to choose from. All of beautiful different colors and different sizes. This was way out of his comfort zone. Hell, he didn't know if Magnus liked flowers. Alec couldn't help but want to leave. But he also wanted to impress Magnus at the same time. Magnus has had boyfriends and girlfriends in the past. But not to sound like he was boasting, none of them were him. Alec knew that would be great for him. He wanted to take care of Magnus and show him the life and the love that he so deserved.

Alec picked up a small bouquet, looking down at it in confusion. Why were some of them so small yet some so big? Did the colors mean anything? What was this puffy white shit in the middle? _I know how to kill a man in sixty ways and torture them in about a hundred, yet I don't know a damn thing about buying someone you like_ _bouquets_ , Alec thought to himself. He turned over, seeing one of the workers deligently organizing a vase filled with water. Alec coughed, slowly approaching her. "Excuse me." he called.

The girl looked up, putting on a smile on her face. "Hello." she called. "Can I help you with something?"

"I uh... I'm going on a date today... and I don't know a thing about flowers." he said.

The girl smiled. "That's adorable." she said.

 _Trust me_ , Alec thought to himself. _I am anything but adorable. I blame Magnus. Through and through._

"So, do you know your date's favorite colors?" she asked him.

Magnus hummed. "I don't actually. But he looks really beautiful in purple. And his eyes have a beautiful hint of gold in them. And gold jewelry looks amazing on him. He's just... really pretty in all colors."

The girl smiled, seeing the way that Alec's cheeks got pink at the prospect of describing Magnus. "How long have you been together?" she asked.

Alec chuckled. _Not long. We just got together after my men kidnapped him, I threatened his father and pretty much ruined the entire life that he thought that he knew_ , he thought to himself. He cleared his throat. "Couple months."

"You really love him huh?"

"Love?! Love, love, well... love's a... a strong word. It's just... I uh..."

The girl chuckled. "It's fine. Saying it is a hard thing to do." she said. "So, since he looks good in every color, I recommend getting him so white roses. I know that it seems bland, but that will be until we wrap it. We have some beautiful gold glitter tulle that we can use to match his eyes."

Alec smiled. Roses. Roses were always perfect. At least that what his mom told him. The girl moved over, showing him a white rose. "It's beautiful." he said.

"Now that spring is starting to roll in, we have a lot of roses starting to come in." the worker told him. "How many would you like?"

"Does a dozen sound good?"

"A dozen is great. Let me go and get the flowers."

The girl turned over, speaking to her coworker in their native language. Alec smiled, looking at the white roses being gently taken and wrapped. He really hoped that Magnus would like them. Hell, he hoped that Magnus would like this whole date. The girl turned around with her coworker, holding two kinds of tulle. "Now." called the other worker. He had a smile on his face as well. "What kind of tulle would you like?"

Alec looked down at options of gold. One was a lot lighter than the other. It looked more like a champagne. But the other one. That one instantly reminded him of the gold that was flecked in Magnus' beautiful eyes. He pointed at the one in her right hand. The girl quickly wrapped the bouquet up in a beautiful bow. She handed them to Alec. Alec smiled. "Thanks. How much do I owe?"

The man told him the price and took his card. He charged the card and gave it back with a wide smile. Alec gave them a nod, going into his pocket before adding a twenty into the tip jar. Alec hugged the flowers as he made his way back over to his car. He really hoped that Magnus would really love them. Alec sat in the back, giving his driver a nod. Love. Love was a hard word to say. Alec wasn't in love. At least not yet. But he wouldn't mind falling in love with Magnus. He was such a kind and wonderful soul. And that damned smile always made his cheeks hot.

The Lightwood cabal hadn't had a wife in a while. Maryse was wonderful until Robert had gone off the rails for Alec. He rubbed the bottom of his chin. Magnus would be perfect. He takes care of his guards. He feds them and medically cares for them and him. And the greatest part of it, Magnus cares for him and has the same romantic feelings towards him. He looked down at the flowers. He would very much love to have Magnus by his side.

* * *

Maryse sighed, gripping her purse tightly. It had quite a while since she had been here. She had never really came here after her marriage to Robert. She was planning to return one day, but then Max was murdered. She couldn't find herself to come by. She inhaled, slowly opening the door and walking inside. The New York Police Department offices all had the same smells. Like hot trash and puke. She inhaled, pulling her scarf closer to nose and inhaling the smell of her perfume. She slowly walked over towards the front desk, her eyes moving over towards the people sitting there. There was a bunch of people. A couple were completely filthy. Some looked high out of their minds. Others looked content with whatever they had done. 

Maryse sighed, looking over towards the desk. She smiled at the small woman sitting there. She looked like she had just started there. It was obvious from the way here hair was tightly pulled and gelled back. The girl smiled at Maryse, crossing her fingers together. "Hello." she called. "Can I help you ma'am?"

"Uh... yes. Actually." she said. "I was looking for someone. Does Detective Garroway still work here?"

"Detective?" the girl said. "Do you mean captain?"

"Maryse?"

Maryse stilled, hearing her name coming from that voice. She hadn't heard his voice in years. It was still just as deep as before. She forced a smile on her face, slowly turning over. After all of these years, he hadn't changed a bit. His muscles still shone through long sleeve shirts. His beard was still perfectly trimmed. His eyes were still golden with a tinge of evil red. Luke had always been the perfect alpha male. Luke stood there, looking over at her. He hadn't expected to see her here. He gripped his dinner in his hand. How come she still managed to make his heart beat this fast? Even after she's been married this long. Luke cleared his throat. Right. Married. That is what he needed to remember most. She was married. Luke looked over at the girl at the desk, holding his hand out and signaling to her. She nodded, getting up and moving away from the two. Maryse felt way too overdressed now that Luke was here. His uniform was still some what casual. The black sweater down shining flawlessly against his dark skin. She really wished that she had just thrown on some jeans. Now her heels started to dig into her actual heels and her earrings started to hang hard against her earlobes. Luke raised his eyebrow, looking over at her. "Uh... hello. Hi." she said, looking down.

"Hi to you too." he said back. "I doubt that you just showed up here after almost thirty five years just to say hi. Is something wrong?"

"Oh. No... no... well I uh..." Maryse still got flustered all around him. "Can... can we talk?"

Luke bit his lip, sighing. He motioned with his head over. Maryse nodded, following him. Luke lead her to the back, opening a door for her. Maryse gave him a thankful and small curtsy. She walked inside, gripping her purse again. Luke closed the door. He set down his bag and pulled out the packs of sushi. "Hungry?"

"No please. Eat." she said.

Luke shrugged, breaking the chopsticks in half. He pointed over to the seats. Maryse slowly sat down, putting her purse right by her feet. Luke bit into a roll, looking over at her. "It's nice to see you again Maryse." he said.

Maryse smiled. "You too. I've missed you." Luke sighed, not bothering to respond to that. Maryse bit her lip, regretting that she had said that. "Uh... so... captain! That's a great. A great promotion."

Luke hummed. "It look a lot to get back on the force in the first place. Especially after what happened." he said.

"Luke I-"

"I am aware that you didn't come here to bring up our dirty laundry. You're here looking for help from the NYPD. So what can I help you with? A robbery? Home invasion. I'll make it top priority since we've known each other for so long."

Maryse hummed, licking her lips. "I'm not trying to throw up our dirty laundry, but there is something that I want to speak about."

"I really hope that it's not about Robert. If he needs anything, please tell him to ask any other department but mine." he said, biting into another roll. He rolled his seat around to get something from his mini fridge.

Maryse raised her eyebrow. "You... you don't know?"

"I haven't kept any information on your family in my head." he said back, picking up a bottle of seltzer. "I left. In all ways."

Maryse couldn't help but smile. She pulled off her scarf and scratched the side of her neck. "Robert is dead." she said.

Luke sat up straighter. He set down his bottle, raising his eyebrow. "What?"

"He's been dead for a while." she said to him. She raised her hand, showing off that she had no wedding ring one. There was only one ring there. But that was on her pointer finger. And that was a gift from Alec for her birthday.

Luke looked at her. She was single. He exhaled. "Look... if you expect me to give you condolences, I'm not doing that." he said. "Robert was a horrible person and no doubt-"

"A horrible husband and father." Maryse finished, looking up at him. "Yes. I know."

Luke stood up. "Maryse I'm sorry. I thought-"

"I understand." she said back to him, standing up as well. "I... I get it."

Luke couldn't help but slowly grin. "How are you?"

"I am... doing well."

"Do you run the cabal now?"

"No. My son runs it now. I just help at home. I have no where else to go so... yeah."

Luke nodded. He sighed. "Did you just come to tell me that?" he asked. "Or is something really happening?"

Maryse sighed. "Something is happening. With the families."

"Maryse I-"

"It's going to be a full fledged war."

"A war? That's impossible."

"But it is."

"How? The families have been at peace for years. What could possibly drive them to war this time?"

"Magnus Bane."

Luke raised his eyebrows. "Magnus has-"

"Been forced into this life. He was wrongfully kidnapped and now he knows." she said rather quickly.

Luke leaned back in his chair, covering his mouth. "Shit." he gasped, finally understanding.

"Lucian...uh... Luke..."

Luke couldn't help but wipe his face, hiding the fact that was blushing. His skin was dark enough so that no one else could see it. But Maryse always knew. She could always see. "Luke, who have to understand now. This is why I came here. You are the only one who can help me. I need your help and expertise."

"Expertise? Maryse, I am not the man that was before. I left that part of myself completely. And you know why I did it."

"I don't want you to kill anyone though. I don't want that from you. I just want you to help me make this right. Please Luke. This is going to get very ugly, very quickly. And you're the only person that I know that can solve this diplomatically." she said. "Especially Magnus and Alec."

"How would Magnus get hurt by this? Or Alec?" he asked.

"Alec is going to do anything to win this war. My son is vigilant, hard working. When a battle comes he will put everything into it. He is going to run himself into the ground, especially going against Valentine." she said.

"He always has something up his sleeve." Luke added.

"And with him working alongside Magnus' father, we can't let this spiral out of control." Maryse said. "Please... I... I haven't asked anything of you in years. This is all that I ask."

Luke sighed. "Maryse... I don't know about this. I don't know if I can come back to this. I'm an officer now. I just-" he stopped, licking his lips. "I don't know if I can do this."

Maryse frowned. "Lucian." she called. "I know that we've had our trials and our tribulations in the past. And I know that coming here to you will make me seem desperate. But I need your help. You're the only man that I trust now."

Luke exhaled. "This is going to make sound completely desperate as well but... I'll do it on one condition." he said, getting up and walking over to her. "I want to ask you something. And I want you to be completely honest."

Maryse smiled and nodded. "Ask me anything."

"Do you still have feelings for me?" he asked.

Maryse blushed, exhaling. "Lucian." she said. "I really would love to speak with you about this. Privately. When this is all over."

"So should I take that as I yes milady?" he asked with a smile.

Maryse blushed. "I never liked that nickname."

"And I never liked my full name. So I guess that that makes us even."

"I always liked it. I never understood why you never liked it. Made you sound like a knight in shining armor."

"What's the point of being a knight if your lady ended up marrying a prince?"

Maryse couldn't help but frown at that. Luke walked over to his desk again, picking up a card. He walked over to her, handing it. Maryse smiled, taking it. "Thank you." she said.

"I guess that we'll be in touch." he said, going back into his sushi.

Maryse nodded, slowly getting up. She picked up her purse, placing the card inside. She turned to the door, pressing her hand to it. She couldn't help but smile. She turned over and left the room. Luke smiled. She hadn't changed a bit.

* * *

Alec slowly inhaled, moving over towards Magnus' bedroom door. He inhaled, raising his fist and lightly knocking on the door. He really hoped that this wouldn't seem desperate like this. Him coming so early with a bouquet of flowers. He was new to this stuff. _God Alec, what if he's allergic to flowers?!_ , he thought to himself. _What if he just hates flowers? What if he just hates roses?! Jesus, maybe I'm overthinking this._

His overthinking was slowly shut up when he looked over and saw the door open. His fair skin turned bright red, seeing Magnus right in front of him. He looked positively radiant. So beautiful. His makeup was done to perfection. Alec had seen him in peach before. But he was pretty sure that right now in this moment, it was his favorite color on Magnus' tan skin. The shirt had the most beautiful swirls around them and they matched the gold ear cuff and rings he was wearing. He was glad that the tulle that he had purchased from the florist matched it perfectly. Magnus smiled, looking over at him. "Hi." he called.

Alec smiled. "Hey. You look... you look beautiful." he said.

Magnus smiled. "Thank you. You look quite dashing as well." he said, eyeing the way he looked. Alec was always wearing black. But in dark purple, he looked stunning. Purple was a regal color. He reminded him of a king. 

Alec looked down at himself. _Great_ , he thought. _Thank goodness that I let Izzy dress me_. He unconsciously adjusted the silver necklace that she had put on him. He smiled, showing off the roses. "I thought that you'd like these." he said.

Magnus smiled. He took the bouquet and took a sniff. "Oh I love flowers." he said to him. "They're beautiful Alexander. Thank you."

Alec smiled. He wanted to keep that smile on Magnus' lips. In all ways. He slowly held out his elbow. "Shall we go then kitten?" he said.

Magnus set down the flowers in the room and took Alec's hand in his. He rubbed his knuckles comfortingly as he went behind him and started to wheel him forward. He smiled. "I'd love to." Magnus said, slowly following him as they walked out of the room. "This blazer looks lovely on you. You must tell me where you bought it from."

* * *

Raphael stepped through the doors, hearing the familar way that the bells rung. It was so warm and inviting here. The smell of beer and french fries wafted through the air as everyone drank, laughed and played billiards. Raphael slowly made his way over to the bar, tapping his fingers against the napkins. "Hey." he called.

"Hey. How can I help you sugar?" called the bartender with a smile as she wiped away some smudged lip gloss. "What would you like to drink?"

"I'm actually looking for someone. Is Maia here?" he asked.

"Who's asking?"

Raphael turned over. Smiling. "How are you doing?" he called, giving her a quick and swift hug.

"I'm doing fine. You know. Bartending and trying to figure out how to solve all of your problems." she said, hugging him. "How is everything?"

"Horrible thanks for asking." he said, looking over at the friend he had known for so so long."

Maia smiled back, picking up her jacket and pulling it on. "Come on. Let's talk out back." she said.

Raphael nodded, moving over and following her. Maia led him over towards the kitchens. They left through a small door towards an alleyway. The bar that she worked on had an alley was that specially decorated and made to prevent attacks, fights and kidnappings in the city. It was well lit with a bunch of tables for outside drinking and eating. Maia sat down on one of the benches, pulling up her foot to fixing the golden buckle that always loose.

Raphael sat down across from her. He moved into his blazer pocket, pulling out two stacks of cash. He moved them over towards Maia. She smiled. But she only took one of them and putting it into her purse. "I don't need that much." she said.

"I don't care. You're taking it." Raphael stated back, taking her purse himself and shoving it inside. Maia chuckled. "What have you found?"

"I dug a little deep. I have a friend who is married to one of his bodyguards. From her husband, Valentine has been seeming a bit standoffish. I am not sure why. But I managed to get him out of his offices for a little while thanks to her."

"How long is a little while?"

"Ten to fifteen minutes. Give or take this is Valentine we're talking about."

"That's all I need."

"Why do you need to get into his office?"

"There's something really bad going on."

"Just like what was happening with that meeting with Bane and Morgensterns?"

Raphael nodded. Maia sighed. "I could have guessed." she said, going back inside of her purse. She pulled out a small set of keys. "I had my same friend take his keys away. He had to get copies. So now, I just so happen to have Valentine Morgenstern's old office and desk keys."

Raphael smiled. "You sneaky dog."

"Comes with the territory. And besides, in this life people pay a lot for what I know." she said with a smile. "It's nice to have some special additions for some friends."

Raphael nodded. "How did you get him out?"

"I have someone who was arrested. In court, he is going to get house arrest. The only error would be that he liked to smoke weed for recreational purposes." she said. "Now, he can't leave to get his stuff. Not only that, but all of Valentine's dealers are off the streets with this situation underway. He is the only one selling. So I have someone that I know to get the drugs for him. It's a perfect opportunity for you to do what you have do."

He nodded. "Thank you."

"But this is going to be dangerous. Are you sure about this?"

"You have never met Magnus before. He's innocent. And Valentine is going to use him for something vile and I will not stand for it." he explained. "If this goes south in anyway though Maia, I need someone to get a message across should something happen to me. I know that you don't like to be involved. So I need to get the message to someone I know. There is a risk that I could die or Valentine will torture me until I become complacent. Maia, you know this."

"Which one of the reasons I didn't want to help you. But I understand that you need to do this."

"And if you understand that, than you must understand what I am asking here." he said. "I'm not asking you to get involved specifically. I'll give you someone's number. Someone I know and trust."

Maia inhaled. She nodded. Raphael told her who to call, his name, his job and address. He exhaled. Maia watched him. "If worst comes to worst, I will call him." she said.

Raphael nodded. "Thank you Maia."

He got up from the bench and moved away. "Hey." she called. He turned back over. "I'll call you when the window of opportunity arises."

He nodded. "Thank you Maia. I appreciate it."

"Stay safe out there."

"No promises."

With that, he turned over and left. This would either be horrible or it would work. But helping Magnus was all that mattered right now. Keeping him safe and stopping the world is what mattered.


	40. Chapter 40

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec takes Magnus out to a nice date. They have a conversation about what their relationship would be.
> 
> They then come to a mutual understanding of their feelings by coming closer than before

First dates seem to have a stigma around them. They're always awkward. They're always strange. It was usually up to the way that the stars were aligned if that first date would equal a second one. Alec hoped that the stars were in the right order as they rode towards their destination. Alec felt like Magnus was the most beautiful and perfect person in the world. He was so kind and beautiful. Alec couldn't help but look over at him as he drove. He really wanted him to be his. He wanted Magnus to be by his side forever and ever. The way that they met happened to be awful. But he fully intended to make it up to him in every single way possible. Starting with this date. There was so much that he wanted to treat Magnus to. Dinners, dances, those strange carnivals that always came at the end of the summer. There was so much that Magnus deserved. He wanted to be the man that was matched for him in heaven.

Magnus turned over him, smiling at the way that Alec blushed and quickly turned back to the road. Alec was probably the most dangerous man in New York City. And he adored the way that he practically melted when he was around. He thought of Alec at first as an aggressive pitbull. But once you get to know the adorable dog, you understand how he sweet he is and show him all of the love and affection in the world. Magnus was surprised that Alec was so infatuated with him. When he could have anyone in the world. Alec slowly pulled the car out of the street, moving towards a small building. Magnus eyes widened in absolute curiosity and wonder. Alec smiled. He slowly moved out of the car and tossed the keys to the young valet, along with a thick stack of tens. The young boy smiled. "T-Thanks sir!" he called.

"Careful with my car." he said with a wink, walking over towards the passenger side door. He opened the door, picking out Magnus' wheelchair.

Magnus chuckled, seeing Alec's very kind and chivalrous actions. Alec set down the chair and slowly helped him up and out of the car. He sat down gently in the chair, smiling at Alec as he slowly moved towards the building. Magnus' raised his eyebrow as they entered. It looked like an antique shop. It looked wonderful. There was so many different items inside. But he raised his eyebrow. Why would Alec take him here? Alec smiled, seeing the confusion in his face.

He looked adorable like that. Slowly, they moved over towards the cashier. Alec handed the man a card. It was black with silver hot stamped lettering. The cashier read the card and her eyes widened. "Lightwood... like... like The Lightwood?"

Alec smiled in a slight grin. "I have a reservation." he said to her.

She nodded, moving over towards the wall. Magnus watched as she opened up a wide door. His eyes widened. Alec wheeled him inside. It was night and day from the antique shop. Alec smiled, seeing his reaction. It was a beautiful looking restaurant. So modern. So beautiful. Dark wood and warm light all around. Soft piano music playing over the sound of a waterfall brought it all full circle for him. "Woah." he called. "This place is beautiful."

"Welcome to Beauty & Essex." Alec said with a smile. "New York's best kept secret."

"How come I've never heard of this place?" Magnus asked.

"I have no idea. I thought that you know more about my city than I." Alec said with as he slowly wheeled him inside. Magnus chuckled. As the two of them slowly moved forward and away from the bar, he eyed the beautiful and wonderful looking cobblestone decor towards the end.

"This place is so beautiful." he said.

Alec smiled. _That smile better stay on his face this entire date_ , he said to himself with a sly grin. Slowly he moved over, picking up Magnus from the chair. He stopped getting so shocked by it. It was nice to be here in Alexander's arms. He felt safe, warm and protected. Alec slowly moved him from the chair and into a seat. Alec sat down right across from him, smiling so widely. Magnus looked up at him. He couldn't help but blush.

Alec graciously picked up a bottle of champagne from it's cooler, popping off the top. He slowly poured Magnus a cup. "Are you allowed to do that?" Magnus asked.

"I know the owner." he said to him. "And I know a couple of the waitresses and waiters here. I think they'll make an exception."

Magnus smiled, taking the glass. "Well then, to first dates?"

Alec smiled back. "To first dates."

They clinked their glasses together. Alec took a slow sip, still eyeing Magnus. He set down his own glass and looked down at the menus. "So Alexander, tell me about yourself." he said.

"Well, what do you want to know about me?"

"So far, I know that you are really into fitness and some books."

"How do you know that I'm into fitness?"

"Look at your muscles Alexander. And besides, I was always up at six to enjoy the books that you had given me. Once I started to wheel myself around, I could hear you in the training room working out. And apparently you work out every hard."

Alec chuckled. "I like to put effort into exercise."

"I wonder what else you can put effort into."

"What was that?"

"Nothing Alexander." he said, showing off an adorable and smug grin. Alec smiled. He was such an adorable brat.

Alec smiled. "Well, if you're really interested. I do really liked to read. I just haven't been able to indulge in it like I used to. When I was younger, I worked hard during the day and then stayed up until midnight or two AM reading my current novel."

Magnus chuckled. "I used to do that a lot in college." he said. "What else do you like to do?"

"Well... I'm not entirely sure. Cooking is pretty fun. I think that I'm pretty decent."

"Oh you are more than decent. That chicken soup that you made for me was amazing."

"I'm glad that you liked it. So, now it's your turn."

"You can't just pass it off to me."

"I'm pretty boring, so I have no idea why you are so interested in me."

"Because you're sweet Alexander. That's why."

"You sure know how to make a man feel special."

Magnus coughed out some of his drink in a laugh, making Alec laugh as well. Their conversation was cut short for a moment as a waiter came over and took their orders. Alec handed him the menu and turned back over to Magnus. "Well, there isn't much to me." Magnus said

"Try me Magnus. I can trust that you are so much more interesting than I am. I named like two things for you. One of which you already knew." he responded, leaning forward with a smile.

Magnus sighed. "Well, I really love to read. But you know that already."

"May I ask why?"

"Well, growing up... my father was never really around. After I turned ten, it was just me. On my own. Other than some other friends parents and Clary, Simon and Raphael, I was on my own. Then I found books and fell in love. It was so nice for me to just be able to take a break from shitty reality and be whoever I wanted. To go on adventures all across." he explained. "And then as I grew up, I wanted to give that to people. So I slowly started to write my own stories."

Alec couldn't help but frown. Fucking Bane. "I'm sorry that your father was like that." he said. "But I am glad that you were able to find an escape."

"Books have always been a wonderful thing for me. I guess that's why I also loved the fact that you gave me an entire bookstore." Magnus said with a smile, taking a sip from his glass. "Was that the same for you?"

"It is." he said with a nod. "Being in a cabal all your life was hard. My escape was books... and my brother."

Magnus frowned. Not wanting to bring up all of the painful memories from his lovely younger brother. "I'm sorry to make you dwell on the past Alexander. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable or sad." he said.

"You didn't. I'm glad that we were able to bond over something so small." Alec said with a smile. "You know, Jace did a background check on you when you were first kidnapped. I know that you went to medical school."

"You did?"

"Does that bother you?"

"No."

"Oh... so, why did you go there?"

"I've just always wanted to help people. And with my father never there to see what my writing did to people, I assumed that becoming a doctor or a nurse would make him finally see. Then, I finally stopped caring about earning his approval and wanted to live for myself." he said. "I've been trying to write something for months now. I've never gotten anything though."

"I'm sure that whatever you write will be good. I'm going to have to read it sometime." Alec said to him, as two waitresses came back with plates of food. Magnus smiled, seeing everything in front of him.

He coughed. "Alexander, I don't have the money to-"

"You don't have to pay for anything kitten. I'm treating you here." Alec said back, setting down his napkin on his lap.

Magnus huffed, trying to get rid of his blush from being called kitten. "You don't need to Alexander."

"I don't need to. I want to. And I always do and get what I want."

"Am I to assume that you want me as well?"

"I do."

Magnus stilled, his cheeks finally exceeding the top of the thermometer. They were red hot. It both ways. "You... you really... ahem, you really are special huh Alexander."

"I hope that that doesn't scare you away."

"Nothing could scare me away. I took off my blindfold and I never looked away."

Alec smiled, picking up a small forkful and feeding it to Magnus. 

* * *

"Thank you." Magnus called as Alec handed the waiter a hefty tip.

Alec smiled, looking over at Magnus again. He wrapped his jacket around himself as he walked to Magnus. He helped him back into his wheelchair and wheeled him out. "So, how was that for our first date?" Alec asked him with a grin.

"I enjoyed it. It was wonderful." Magnus said, clapping his hands together with a wide smile. Alec wheeled him out of the place. Alec was moving to find the valet, but Magnus pulled on his sleeve. "No, no, no, no. Wait. I know this street. There's this wonderful little ice scream shop that has it's own mini garden. Oh Alexander, we must go."

Alec chuckled. Anything to make him happy. Alec handed the valet another twenty as he wheeled to where Magnus led. Magnus smiled. He was so happy as they went around, seeing the different shops and the different wonderful restaurants.

Magnus pointed over towards the ice cream shop. It was bright for nights in New York. Bright blue and yellow neon lights shone. Alec wheeled him inside and towards the front of the line. Magnus ordered for them a smile on his face. Magnus asked the worker to help lead them to their garden. Alec followed him as they moved out into the garden. It was beautiful. It looked Asian inspired, matching the theme of the ice cream shop. Bright New York vibes matching traditional Asian images and sculptures. There were beautiful bonsai trees in dark red vases and golden flowers growing. Alec thought that it was beautiful. And the way that the light radiated off of Magnus.

It was breathtaking. Magnus smiled, seeing the large tree right in the middle. He eyed it as if it was made of diamonds, ignoring the others around him. Alec slowly approached him, sitting down on the circular bench around the trees. Magnus couldn't physically sit down, so he wheeled towards him. So that they were right in front of each other. Alec smiled. "Magnus." he called.

"Yes Alexander?" Magnus responded, his cheekbones shining.

"I'm... look, I'm new to this whole dating and feelings thing. I'm not very good at it. But I... I want to... I..." Alec stuttered on his words. He was lucky that one of the workers dropped off their ice cream. Alec gave him a chuckle, biting into the treat that Magnus recommended.

Magnus bit into his own ice cream, eyeing the way that Alec got flustered. His lip got all pouty and his nose went bright petal pink. "Can I take a gander at what you were going to say?" he asked. Alec bit onto his spoon and nodded. "Okay then. I know that you like me. A lot. And you enjoy my company and presence. And from the way you talk, you really don't want to spend another second without this question answered. So yes, Alexander. I will be your boyfriend."

Alec's eyes went wide. "Wait... wait, really?!"

"Of course." Magnus said. "You are a very nice man and you'd be a very nice boyfriend. You have all the best traits. You're kind. Sweet. Protective. A little too much of the latter but nevermind. And I sense a hint of possessiveness when thinking about that pink haired guy."

"Never bring him up again." Alec huffed, biting into more ice cream. "So, you want this? You want me?"

"I do."

"You're not afraid of what could happen? How I could ruin you?"

"If you're talking about what I'm think then yes Alexander, I'd gladly let you ruin me. In more ways then one."

"You really like your sex jokes."

"That I do. And do not worry. I can take care of myself. You saw yourself how I handled Azazel. Twice. I just have a lot more to learn about self defense. So what do I have to worry about?"

Alec smiled. His heart was beating out of his chest so hard. He felt like his ribs might explode. "Why did I waste so much time with those other losers?" he said. "When I had a beautiful man like you awaiting for me?"

Magnus wrapped his arms around Alec's neck with a smile. "I have no idea Alexander." he said.

"So you are mine now?" Alec asked, running a finger underneath his chin. "Are you all mine and only mine kitten?"

"I'll be forever yours if you are forever mine darling." Magnus said to him.

Alec slowly moved in, pressing his lips against Magnus' own. Magnus kissed him back, holding his cheek in his palms. It took years of disappointment and sadness for him to finally find what he was looking for. It took weeks of pain and lies for this one moment. And it took almost a full decade to feel the drumming beat of his heart once more.

Finally, Alec found the one to help mend his shattered heart.

Finally, Magnus found the one to shower him with love and affection.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beauty & Essex is a real resturant. It is actually in New York. I've been there before and it is a wonderful place. Their fish tacos? Holy fucking shit! Best that I have ever eaten! Like ever!
> 
> It is a bit pricey, but it is amazing for a date or for a family dinner! I highly reccomend. If you are ever in NYC, here is the [website](https://beautyandessex.com/) with it's address (there is one in Cali and one in Vegas too!!) and menu. 🍲🌮🍮🤤💚


	41. Chapter 41

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let's spend a month with Malec, Sizzy and Clace and their up and coming relationships

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. It's been a while as you can tell. So for those that didn't read the author's note from last week, I am doing better than I was at the start. And all of your kind words really meant a lot to me. All of the condolences and all of your worried filled paragraphs really made me feel loved. So thank you all from the bottom of my heart.
> 
> Now it's my turn to give back. I'm ready to post. This is my outlet and helped me feel better when I was in the hole. So I'm back, I hope that you guys are willing to read this fic again💗💗

"Are you sure that I'm doing this right?"

"Yes Alexander. You're doing great"

"But it's sticking to my fingers. Go it's everywhere."

"Well that's because you are a bit too enthusiastic my darling. You keep twisting your wrists also."

"Then what should I do?"

Magnus chuckled at him. How absolutely adorable was he? Something as simple as this stumped him and he was sure that Alec could tell him the difference between different bullets and handguns. He moved over, picking up a handful of flour straight out of the bag. He spread it out all over the counter, taking the glob of dough from Alec and setting it down. "Look." he said to him with a smile. "You need a whole lot of flour in order for the dough not to stick to your hands."

Alec huffed, but smiling nonetheless. He peeled as much as of the dough as he could off of his fingers, turning to wash his hands in the sink. Magnus continued to knead the dough as much as possible. Alec returned quickly, snaking his arms through Magnus' underarms and starting to knead with him. Magnus chuckled, feeling the ticklish feelings of Alec's chin as he pressed it on the side of his shoulder. "That's looking good." he said.

"Are you talking about me or are you talking about our dough?" Magnus asked, looking over at him with a smile.

Alec pressed a kiss against his lips as soon as Magnus turned over to face him. Magnus chuckled at the trap that was laid out for him, but he kissed him back. He leaned back, dropping the dough. "So what know kitten?"

"Firstly, you can stop calling me kitten.' Magnus said, trying to hide the way his cheeks were reddening.

"You keep looking so beautiful and looking at me like that, I'm going to keep calling you kitten. Kitten." he said with a smile. Magnus sighed. There was no getting through to this guy. "So what now?"

"Now, we roll it out all of the dough and add our cinnamon and sugar mixture." Magnua said, tapping his nose. "Do you think that you can handle rolling out the dough without messing up?"

"I'm not that much of a doofus."

"That is debatable."

Alec rolled his eyes, taking the dough while nuzzling his nose against Magnus' cheek, he knew that it got to him. He knew that it was ticklish. It was Magnus' weakness. Magnus bit his lip to stop himself from laughing out loud. Alec laughed. Magnus picked up a pinch of flour and threw it into Alec's face. He stepped back, his eyes and mouth wide with shock. Magnus chuckled, laughing at how he looked. Alec picked up his own pinch, shooting it at Magnus. It hit his hair. He screeched in laughter, picking up more.

"No don't! This is Armani!"

"That took four hours!"

The two of them went back and forth with the flour, laughing at their silliness. So when Jace walked into the room and saw Magnus and Alec laughing away tears on the floor, covered from face to knee in pure white flour, he thought he earned the right to mutter: "By the fucking angel, that was fast."

* * *

"My god, that's horrible. Why did you wait so long to tell me this?" Simon asked, moving over and taking her hand in his.

"I didn't want you to fret." Izzy said, rubbing his palm to bring him some sense of comfort. "Besides, I took care of those idiots all on my own."

"I just wish I would have known Iz." he said, sipping his wine.

Izzy frowned sympathetically. "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you. I should have." she said.

"It's fine Izzy. At least I know that you are fully capable of defending yourself. It gives me a little piece of mind." he said. "We are you going to stay now if the manor is... gone?"

"We have a bunch of places all over the state. But they won't be like the manor, you know? They'll be just a big building to work in. It just so happens to have dorms. It won't be home."

"Do you have an apartment to move into then? Maybe another house?"

"No. They're all work buildings. Nothing really home."

"So... what about your brothers?" he asked.

"Alec runs the place so he is going to live there. Jace is too. My mom... I have to actually ask her if she'll be staying somewhere. But it is safe to assume knowing her that she is going to be anywhere my damn brother is." she said back.

Simon hummed, serving his girlfriend some calamari. Now he felt bad. Not only did she face bad guys all on her own, but now she had no real home to live in. He couldn't imagine living where you worked. That must suck. Izzy looked at him and noticed the quirk in his eyebrows and the look in his eyes. She sighed, putting on a smile. She leaned across the table and planted a sweet kiss to his lips. Simon smiled, his cheeks reddening from the kiss automatically. She was so sweet. He then smiled even wider when he realized something. He had an idea to help with her home situation. He watched as Izzy picked off the breading, because she was strange like that. "And you have nowhere else... right?" he said.

"We did just establish that. But yeah." she responded with a chuckle. "Why?"

"What if... well... I-I live by myself. And it never really seems like I'm by myself because I have all of my friends around. But since they have slowly started to go and focus this gang war, I have been on my own." he said. "I have an apartment. It's pretty big. I have two bedrooms with separate bathrooms. I'm a neat freak so you don't have to worry about cleaning. And-"

"Simon." Izzy called, her smile starting to grow. "Are you... are you asking me to move in with me?"

"Only if you want to! Like I said, I have another bedroom if you want to stay in there. And it will be so you don't have to live where you work." he explained. "I know that it's a big step with dating. But time is of the essence especially with this whole-"

Izzy smiled, squeezing his hand tighter in order to silence him. "You, Simon Lewis, are absolutely adorable."

Simon blushed, rubbing her wrist. "Is that a yes?"

"I'll pack up my stuff when I get back." she stated, clapping her hands excitedly.

Simon raised his glass. Izzy did the same and they met in a happy and satisfying clink.

* * *

"Are you ready?"

"As much as I'll ever be."

Alec nodded, taking his hands and holding them gently. Magnus bit his lip. Slowly, he pushed himself up onto his feet. Almost immediately, he cried out inpain. "Shit!" Alec cursed, moving down onto his knees and letting Magnus push down on him and almost all of his weight as well. He fell down onto his back, but let Magnus fall on his chest.

"I'm sorry." Magnus gasped. "It still hurts to stand on it."

"That's fine. It's okay. We have time to heal." Alec said, pulling him into his arms and helping him sit back in his wheelchair. "But you tried at least. Right?"

'Yeah. Yeah, we did." Magnus said back. "Thank you darling."

"You're welcome Mags."

* * *

Clary waited by the phone every single night. Almost like some sort of routine. Just sitting there and waiting for a call from Jace. He promised to call every night no matter what.

Things had been different since she left with Raphael to try and save Magnus. Now she was living in a completely different room in Morgenstern's large condo. There were things happening around her that she would never understand. Her father was scary and her brother was trying to work with her. But she didn't trust anything. Anything or anyone. If anything, all of this was so close to giving her an anxiety attack. But she had something to calm her. Someone.

Jace.

He wasn't like any other man that she had known. He had a cocky attitude sure, but that was only to others in this life. Jace was actually really kind. He was special. And they're late night calls made almost all of this worth it. He would always tell her what came next for the plan to stop Valentine. He would even let her speak with Magnus on occasion if he was around, free or awake. She enjoyed it. Jace was someone she could see walking out of all of this together. Walking out of this whole sad situation together. She turned over, hearing her phone vibrate. She smiled, seeing the contact.

It wasn't his actual name. She had labeled it Dr. Will. So that if anyone got ahold of her phone, they would think she was speaking with a therapist or a psychologist. No one needed to know. She picked up the phone and smiled. "Jace! Jace, hey." she called.

 _"Hey baby."_ he called back, his voice deep from exhaustion. Clary could almost sense the smile against his lips. _"Is everything alright over there?"_

"Oh. I'm alright. I'm more than." she said. "How are you?"

_"My knuckles hurt. But hey, Magnus surely does wonders. Don't know why he dropped out of medical school."_

"You should read his stories. Way better than alcohol wipes and stitches."

 _"Was never one for reading. That's Alec's thing."_ Jace chuckled. _"How was your day? Anything to report? Anyone I need to kill?"_

"No, no. I am perfectly safe." she responded, laying down against her bed's massive pillows. "I missed you."

 _"I missed you too."_ he said. _"So, what should we do tonight? Netflix over the phone? I'll uber you some snacks under your name if you want?"_

Clary called. "This is a rather unorthodox date Mr. Herondale."

 _"Yes. Yes, it is. But it's what we got."_ he said. _"I promise you when all of this is over, I will take you on a proper date. One you deserve. Maybe a drive-in movie? Maybe one of those Japanese bakeries in Brooklyn?"_

"I'd love that."

_"So... what should we watch red?"_

* * *

Magnus smiled, seeing the way that Alec was staring at him. The smile on his face was so amazing. For someone that never had a smile on his face, it was beautiful to look at. Magnus turned over, sliding a book back inside of the shelf. "Okay Alexander, enough with the lovesick staring." Magnus said. "Now. It's your turn."

Alec's eyes widened in confused shock. He shook his head no. "I have plenty of books to choose from." he said. "How could I possibly pick one out?"

"No. That's not what I meant love. I mean that it is your turn to read to me." Magnus said, smiling as he picked up a book from the shelf and looking down at the title and beautifully illustrated cover.

"Wait... huh?" Alec called, following him as the walked towards their favorite spot to read in the store. "No, no, no. You always sound better when you read. It's nice. Soothing."

"And now, you can be nice and soothing too." Magnus said, pushing a book onto his chest. "Now." he said, falling down onto the fluffy pillows they had been gifted from Maryse. "Immerse me."

Alec let out a weak chuckle. He rubbed the back of his neck as he slowly fell down to sit next to Magnus. He looked down at the book, snorting to himself that Magnus had chosen yet another fantasy romance. He leaned against a pillow, smiling as felt Magnus laid down against his chest. Magnus rubbed circles against the black jeans, snuggling up to Alec as if he was a giant teddy bear. Alec opened up the book, biting his lip in worry that he won't really be good at this. Slowly, he started to read the opening. Magnus felt so warm and safe, hearing his voice as he read. It was comfortable. Alec stumbled and stuttered a couple of times like most do when they read out loud.

Alec turned over, looking down at Magnus. He had his eyes closed as he enjoyed the story. Alec chuckled, setting the book down and pulling Magnus closer. "Why'd you stop?" Magnus asked.

Alec couldn't stop grinning, looking down at how beautiful Magnus looked. "I just... I just couldn't stop... looking at you." he said. "Was I that good?"

"It was comforting. You have a very soothing voice." Magnus said.

"Some say my voice is the devils."

"Well that's because they did something horrible and deserved everything that was coming their way." Alec chuckled. He pulled Magnus off of his chest and sat him down on his lap. Magnus chuckled, running his finger through his thick hair. Alec smiled. "What happened to reading?"

"I'm not going to read with you around. Not when you look so beautiful." Alec responded.

Magnus chuckled, moving in and pressing a kiss against his lips. Magnus kissed him back, nuzzling his nose. This was the best night of his life. One of the very best.

* * *

"Have you seen Magnus by any chance?" Alec called to Jace, stepping out of his office completely dressed. He pulled his scarf in tighter around his neck as he looked over around the Institute.

Jace looked up from his phone, shaking his head. "No, I haven't seen him." he said, shoving it into his group pocket. "I think that he might be outside."

"Outside? Why?" Alec called, grabbing his jacket and hurrying out of the Institute. Why would he be outside in a wheelchair? Especially in this weather. He looked around, trying to find his boyfriend. He huffed, seeing that it was snowing pretty hard outside. Magnus being stuck in a wheelchair wasn't good especially in the New York winter.

He turned around, searching around the park that surrounded the small church. He raised his eyebrow, hoping that Magnus wasn't hurt in any sort of way. He slowly made his way over toward one of the smallest parts of the park. It was an empty flower garden because of the season change. Alec turned over, hearing rustling from behind. But before he could see who it was, a snowball flew through the air and hit him in the face. Alec groaned as he wiped it from his face, When his vision was snow free, he saw Magnus chuckling at him. Magnus was wadding up another ball of snow, looking up at Alec. "You take down men every single night yet a snowball can take you down?" Magnus said laughing. "This is crucial information. I can sell this and get so much in return from it."

Alec chuckled back, playing along. "You think that one tiny snowball can take me down?" he asked.

"Very much so." Magnus said. "Are you attempting to prove me wrong Alexander?"

Alec couldn't answer as Magnus threw another ball at him, hitting him right in the cheek. He laughed out loud, picking up his own snowball. He threw it over at Magnus, but missing by a long shot. Magnus laughed at him. "You have a strong arm! I will say that. Good for baseball." he said.

"It's from all the shooting. And maybe some archery." Alec said, throwing another one.

Magnus ducked, letting it hit the tree behind him. "You can use a bow?!"

"I love using a bow." he answered.

"You just _have_ to teach me!"

"Maybe."

Magnus threw another snowball at him, hitting him in the legs. Alec looked down to wipe the snow off of his pants, but Magnus threw two more to land right in his hair. Magnus laughed at him. "There." he said. "That's for the four to zero."

Alec rolled his eyes, chuckling. He pulled up a huge amount of snow and chucked it towards Magnus. His eyes widened, seeing the snow. It hit him right in the face. The force pulling him back along with his chair, falling down. Alec's eyes widened immediately, regretting what he had done. He rushed over. "Magnus!" he called out.

He rushed over, kneeling down beside him. He was immediately going to start to apologize and see if he was alright. But he looked down and saw the widest smile on Magnus' lips. He exhaled, seeing that he was alright. He held Magnus up by the waist as he pulled the wheelchair back upright. Slowly, he sat him back down. "Well, now my precious information about snowballs is down the drain."

Alec chuckled. "Now whatever shall we do?" he said, rubbing snow off of his shoulder. "You okay?"

"I'm positively splendid my darling." Magnus said.

Alec sighed, pressing a kiss against his temple. "Come on. Let's get inside." he said.

"No." Magnus stated back. "It's a beautiful day Alexander, even with the snow. Unless you have some work to do, let's go out for a walk."

Alec smiled. "You know what.... there is this lovely little coffee shop that sells delicious peppermint lattes. How would you feel about that?"

Magnus pressed a kiss against his nose. "I'd love to Alexander."

* * *

"This is strange to look at."

"It's not strange. It's sweet."

Jace raised his eyebrow. What the hell was his sister talking about?

"Enough with your pessimism Jace." Maryse called, taking a slow sip of her tea.

"It's not pessimistic. I'm just telling the truth." Jace said. "This is strange to look at considering the Alec that I know."

The three of them looked through the door, seeing Alec. He was sitting on the ground, surrounded by a mountain of pillows and throw blankets. Magnus was sitting next to him. His head laying down against his lap. Alec was petting Magnus while they read a book together. Magnus held the book, reading the story lightly to Alec. And when he flipped the page, Alec continued for him.

Izzy huffed, biting into her cookie. "It's not strange. Alec gets his sweet side from mama."

Maryse nodded. "You know..." she said, before smiling and turning away.

"Know what? Know what ma?" Jace called. "Come on! What is it?"

"You are like a child." Izzy said.

"Then you tell me."

"Alec's changing." Maryse said simply

"Changing? Changing how?" Jace asked.

"He's less tense. He's actually being himself. Instead of being... grumpy ol' Lightwood." she explained, looking over at the couple.

Magnus raised his head, being rewarded with a sweet kiss from Alec.

Izzy looked over at him with a smile before turning to her blonde brother. "It's good. He's finally happy."

"After so so long." Maryse added. "He deserves it more than anyone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading and sticking around. See you on Saturday!


	42. Chapter 42

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec and Magnus take the next step. And Alec asks Magnus a very important question.
> 
> Raphael needs to dive deeper into Valentine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're here. We're here at the smut! We're here!!  
> I hope that I haven't kept you all waiting for too long. 
> 
> So, in the polls, which felt like forever ago, you all overwhelming preferred for me to use my symbol system. So at least you are aware that I am having smut in the chapter and you are aware when it begins and ends. I know that certain people are uncomfortable with smut, so with this symbol you are able to skip it and you aren't missing much. So there will be three roses (🌹) at the start and end of smut. There is your warning.
> 
> Enjoy😁👍🏽💚

"Deep breaths Magnus." Cat said, looking down at his ankle. "Inhale slowly."

"I'm right here if you need me." Alec said to him, holding onto his hand.

"This isn't going to hurt, but you will feel your leg for the first time in ages. It will be asleep so the most you'll feel is like pins and needles."

Magnus nodded. He turned over to Cat and Izzy, giving them a comfortable smile. He was ready to get this damn bandage and cast off. Izzy knelt down, slowly starting to unwind the bandage. She pulled off the almost miles bandages, showing them to Magnus. "All gone!" she said excitedly.

Magnus smiled as well. "Finally." he stated.

"Let me take care of this." Cat said, pulling off the thick cast. Now his entire leg was free and exposed. The skin seemed tight, dry and pale compared to the other one. But Izzy assured him that it was normal. Cat took a hold of one of his elbows, Alec quickly moving take the other one. And slowly, the two helped Magnus off of the medical bench. Magnus inhaled deeply as he was placed onto his two feet. Alec held onto the small of his back, trying his best to comfort him and give him support. Magnus gave him a smile, telling him that he was alright without having to open his mouth.

"Okay. Now, slowly I want you to try and walk." she said. "Alec?"

"Yeah?"

"You're going to have to let him go."

Alec turned red, pulling away from Magnus to ironic rub the back of his neck. Magnus chuckled, seeing the way that Alec was acting. It was adorable. He turned over and slowly took a step on his good foot. Normal. He then raised the foot that had been wrapped up for almost two months. There was some pins and needles, just as he was told there would be. He ended up wobbling. Alec rushed over, taking him by the waist. Magnus wrapped his arms around his neck. "You okay?" he asked.

Magnus gave him a smile. "I'm fine Alexander." he said. "I just... haven't used it in a while. I just needed to get used to it again."

Alec nodded. He turned over to the two doctors. "Can you two should try together maybe?" Cat suggested.

Izzy nodded in agreement, giving her friend and older brother a smile. Alec maneuvered himself in front of Magnus, taking both of his hands in his. "How's this?"

"Perfect." Izzy said with two thumbs up.

"Okay, slowly." he said to Magnus.

Magnus nodded. Alec started to walk backwards, looking at Magnus the entire time. Magnus slowly moved himself forwards, following Alec. It hurt a bit as he stepped, but everything got better and better once he continued. He let out a laugh. He was walking again! Actually walking again! "Alexander, I'm doing it! I'm doing it!" he called.

"I see! I see!" Alec called back with a smile. "You're doing amazing baby. Keep going."

Magnus kept taking steps. Alec held onto him with a wide grin. Slowly, he let go of his hands. Magnus stumbled for second, but forced himself to balance. He was fine. He could do this. He left out a smile as he took off into a short sprint, running into Alec's waiting arms. Magnus chuckled, looking down at his ankle. "I can walk again! I can run! Alexander, I can walk! I'm free!"

"Does this mean that I can't carry you around anymore?" Alec pouted jokingly. He smiled, hugging Magnus. "I'm so proud of you."

"You're all healed up!" Izzy said with a smile.

"I am so happy for you Magnus." Cat said. "No sharp pains? Nothing at all."

Magnus shook his head as Alec moved his arm around his waist, while pressing a kiss against the side of his neck. "No. If anything, I just feel a bit of a pins and needles sort of feeling. Like you said."

"Well it has been out of commission for so long. That's understandable. It will go away in a couple of hours. If not, be sure to come and see me." she said. "Now, if anything I would really appreciate if you would stop by my offices for some physical therapy. It's a short drive from here."

"I'll show you where it is." Alec said. "Whenever any of us need some sort of therapy, Cat is the one to call."

Magnus nodded. He turned over to the two ladies. "Thank you for everything ladies." he said sincerly. "It means a lot."

"No worries." Izzy said, hugging him.

"Not a problem." Cat said.

Alec coughed loudly, clearing his throat. Izzy gave her brother a huff before giggling. Izzy pulled Cat by the jacket and forced her to leave with her. Muttering something about candles. Alec smiled. Magnus turned over to him, the smile just as wide. Alec picked Magnus up by the waist, swinging up in the air. Magnus chuckled, pressing a kiss against his forehead. "I think that this calls for a celebration!" Alec called, dipping in dramatically. "Don't you think so kitten?"

"I'm not very fond of kitten, but I think that a celebration would be fun." Magnus said as Alec pulled him back up on his now working two feet. He pressed a kiss against his lips. "So what do you want to do? How about dinner? A movie? A walk in the park?"

Alec smiled, humming, rubbing Magnus' knuckles as he looked down. "No. No, I... I was thinking of something a bit more grand."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I already asked you to be my boyfriend. And boyfriends have... welll they... they..."

"They have... sex."

"Right. Right yeah... have... have sex... Or make love! Whatever sounds better to you."

"Why are you getting so flustered Alexander?" Magnus asked. "We're both adults."

"Right." Alec said, his face getting even more red. "Right right right..."

"Are you... asking me if I want to take it to the next step with you?" Magnus asked him.

Alec bit his lip. "It's a lot more than just that. I don't want to sound sleazy and like a jerk I-"

"Well then, if you want to. I don't mind doing it." Magnus said, moving over and pressing a kiss to Alec's lips.

Alec wanted to stop him, but he totally forgot everything that he was thinking before. Now that Magnus' lips were on his, all of his thoughts were on Magnus.

Magnus Bane.

He was like a drug he couldn't quit.

Alec snaked his hand across his waist, moving over and rubbing the small of his back. Alec moved over, picking him up. Magnus giggled, holding onto the side of his neck as Alec carried him out of the room. He didn't even mind that he was walking over to the halls. Alec didn't even bother to care about the people that were around him, giving him eye looks. Magnus chuckled at that. Alec had such a confidence as a mafia leader.

Alec walked him over to his bedroom, shutting the door behind him. He set Magnus down on his feet, locking the door. He turned over back to Magnus, cupping his cheeks in his hands. He slowly start to nip at Magnus' neck. He let out a breath, completely entranced by Alec. "Are you magic?" he gasped as Alec took a hold of his shirt.

"I wish." Alec said. "If I was I would have transported us somewhere exotic. A bit more romantic."

Alec moved over and picked Magnus up from underneath the legs once more. Magnus chuckled as he slowly walked over towards his bed. It wasn't like the others that he had saw in the Institute. This one was huge. A canopy with expensive looking silk sheets below. It reminded him of the bed that Fiona laid in during _Shrek_. Except this time it would be more romantic than comedic. Alec shoved Magnus down onto the bed, slowly pulling off his blazer and tie. Magnus chuckled, slowly moving up from the bed to try and help him. 

Alec smiled seeing him. He slowly pushed his hands away from his own shirt. The tie had been undone, but it was still hanging from his collar and his blazer was on the chaise right near the bed. Magnus slowly pulled off the tie and threw it down next to Alec's fallen blazer. Magnus undid those golden buttons against his shirt while Alec slowly ran his hands through Magnus' hair. Magnus yanked his shirt free, looking over at the body that was Alexander Lightwood.

His entire torso was lined up with abs. Six packs that could fucking clean clothes. Magnus' face flushed pink and he fell down against the bed, slapping the back of his palm against his forehead dramatically. "Fucking christ Alexander, you are going to kill me." he said.

Alec chuckled, slowly prowling over him like a lion on it's prey. He sat down on Magnus' lap, keeping him pressed down to the bed. Magnus hissed, feeling himself getting hard. Alec chuckled, pressing a kiss against his chin. Slowly, he took a hold of Magnus shirt. "I'll be careful." he whispered, seeing Magnus sit up. "I know how much you like to look pretty for me."

Magnus grinned. "Yes. And only you Alexander."

Alec slowly pulled the turtleneck off of his body. They say that black was slimming. But if anything, Magnus didn't need any slimming. He was beautiful. Abs glistening with the afternoon sun. Alec looked down at him. "You're quite beautiful looking." he said. "Were you sclupted by gods?"

"My mom is what I liked to consider a goddess. My father-mpph!" Magnus was cut off of Alec slapped his hand over his mouth tightly.

"Let's not talk about your father in the bedroom, huh?" Alec said.

Magnus nodded in agreement. Slowly, he moved his hand away and looked down at his pants. He gripped the belt loops and slowly yanked it free.

🌹🌹🌹

Magnus' erection was pressing hard against his boxers. Alec smiled, seeing the sight in front of him. Slowly, he raised one hand towards Magnus and the other to his sensitive member. He slowly started to rub at it as he took Magnus' wrists in one hand. Magnus tried to push himself up at the touch, but Alec held him firmly in place. "Nice try baby." he whispered. "You're not going anywhere that I don't want you to."

"Oh. How very controlling of you." Magnus said.

"Controlling's a strong word."

"Then what do you prefer to call it?"

"I call it asserting my dominance where needed."

Magnus rolled his eyes. Alec continued to run Magnus ragged as he pressed kisses against his neck. He kept his lips in one spot, pulling on the skin as hard as he could. Magnus gasped, his head falling back against the pillow. "Alexander..." he gasped. "Oh Alexander..."

"Keep moaning my name baby. Keep going." Alec called, feeling himself getting harder. He pulled Magnus' boxers off and he took a hold of his dick, pulsing it up and down.

Magnus slammed his head back, his toes curling against the blankets underneath his body. "I should have known...ah!"

"Should have known what?" Alec asked.

"You are demanding. The most powerful man in a room. You take charge of everything in the state and city." Magnus said, pulling at Alec's hands holding him down as he kissed his neck a bit harder. "And you are just as demanding in your office as you are here in the bed."

"You do something to me Magnus." Alec said, pulsing his member harder. Magnus cried out. "That makes me want to take you."

Alec let go of his wrists, pulling off his own pants and boxers. Magnus bit his lip, seeing Alec's erection through his boxers. The pale red had a darker spot where Alec was leaking out some pre cum. Magnus tried to pull himself up, but Alec pushed him back down onto the bed. Magnus bit his lip. Holy fuck was he a lucky guy. Alec slowly moved back over to him. Magnus wrapped his arms around Alec's neck as Alec picked up his legs. Magnus crossed his ankles around his waist. Their hard cocks pressed up into each other. Magnus cried out from how sensitive he was and how the touch felt.

Alec smiled. He held him by the cheeks, seeing the way he was looking at him. Like he was the most beautiful thing in the world. Like he was so glad that he was here. Everyone else was just happy that they were getting fucked by the Alexander Lightwood. But Magnus just wanted him. No matter who he was. Alec rubbed his lips together, moving away from Magnus. Magnus cried out, wanting his Alexander back. Alec moved over, going inside of one of his drawers and picking up a condom and a small bottle of lube.

Alec returned, slowly putting it on. He pulled Magnus up, holding him from underneath of his thighs. He laid down, sitting Magnus down on his lap. "Let's be careful huh?" he said. "I want you to sit down, lay there and allow me to take care of you?"

"I'm fine." Magnus called. "I can-"

"No. I want to be very careful. Especially now that this ankle is free." Alec said to him, taking him by the jaw. "Now. Lay your head down against my shoulder kitten."

Magnus nodded, doing what he was ordered to. Alec poured out a small amount against his fingers and started to rub them around his hole. Magnus bit his lip from the feeling. He hadn't done this in a long time. He hasn't had anyone with him in along while. But moved his hand from on Alec's back and covered his mouth. Alec pulled his lips away from Magnus' neck, moving over to look at him. "Sorry." he gasped.

"Don't be baby." he said back, still slowly starting to open him up. "I'm going to take my time. Okay? I'll go slow with you baby." Magnus nodded, still holding in his breath. "Be still. I'm going to take care of you."

Magnus nodded. Alec continued to work his fingers around Magnus' entrance. Magnus inhaled, feeling Alec around him. Feeling him touching him. Alec noticed the way he was standing. The way he was breathing. Slowly, he maneuvered him off of his lap and laid him back down, this time with his feet towards the pillows. Alec slowly pulled his legs over his shoulder, moving his tongue towards his hole. Magnus screamed out, his hands clawing at the streets and the blankets. He took a hold of the bed's frame for support, needing something to hold onto as he curled his body upwards. Alec held him by the hips and slammed him down, keeping him still as he opened him up.

Magnus kept one hand covering his mouth. He felt like he was about to cry. After so long, someone was doing something like this. And not to hurry up and get off, but to take care of him? It didn't feel real. Alec continued to rear this tongue rolling up and down and in circles. He pulled himself up, some saliva and lube following him like a line trailing on his tounge. "I'm about to go in." he said. "Remember to breathe. And let me hear you."

He slowly inserted himself inside of Magnus. Magnus screamed out in pleasure. He clawed at Alec's shoulders, quickly wrapping his arms around his neck. Leaving white scratches along his shoulderblades and neck. Alec groaned, finding pleasure in Magnus and having him hold him like this. He slowly pushed inside of him and out, while pumping Magnus' hard and wanting cock at the same time. Magnus' eyes rolled to the back of his head. "Oh! Oh! Alexander! Alexander! Ah!" he cried.

Alec bit his lip, looking down at Magnus as sweat started to cover both of their bodies. Magnus looked so beautiful like this. Underneath of him. He was the most safe here. The most protected. Dear God. Alec wanted him here forever. He wanted Magnus to love him in ways that he didn't even know. Magnus looked up at him, seeing the sensual look in his eyes. "Kitten." Alec breathed. "I... I..."

"Alexander." Magnus gasped, his eyes rolling to the back of his head. He shuddered, releasing himself all into Alec's hand.

Alec moved down, slapping his lips against Magnus'. He kissed him hard, continuing to go before he himself. He came, crying out Magnus' name. He held himself up, stopping himself from slapping all of that body weight against Magnus' body.

🌹🌹🌹

Magnus exhaled, his head leaning down against the bed. Wow. He had never... this was just... _amazing_.

Magnus bit his own hand, feeling the tears start to fall. Alec looked down at him, seeing him cry. His eyes widened. "Mags... Mags, oh my God! Are you hurt? Did I hurt you? Shit... Magnus I-"

"Alexander." Magnus called. "That was amazing. That was... wonderful darling."

Alec looked down at him and smiled. Slowly, he brought him back up and laid him against the pillows. Magnus hummed, finding a comfortable nirvana now that he was here. Alec moved off of the bed, wiping his hands clean and grabbing a cloth. He wiped Magnus' chest clean as he yanked off his condom. He laid down next to Magnus, pulling up the blanket across them both. Alec looked over at him. Magnus was still trying to catch his breath. "You alright Mags?" he asked.

"I'm quite alright now." Magnus said, turning over to face him. "You were quite amazing darling. I can't wait to see what else you have in store."

"What else I have in store? What does that mean?"

"I mean, the all powerful Lightwood most definitely has something else in store. I can only assumed that you wouldn't like to hold my wrists down all day."

Alec chuckled. "You got it baby." Alec said, moving him close. Magnus laid his head down against Alec's chest, running his fingers against his abs.

"Thank you." he said. "You were wonderful. You took such good care of me. And you were... so good."

"Thank you. Anything for you." Alec said.

Magnus hummed, feeling sleep start to overcome his body. He laid down and found comfort with the cabal leader. Magnus wasn't sure how people made him out to be this completely dark person. At all. He wasn't even like his father said or a liar like Jonathan had said. He was gentle. He actually cared for him and took care of everything that came to him. His heart thumped whenever he was around. And as he slowly started to drift off into sleep, he thought of something. It had been a long time since he had been in love. And he would love for Alexander Lightwood to be his. He wouldn't mind at all being in love with him.

Alec turned over towards Magnus, slowly finding a smile on his face. He looked adorable like this. His kitten like nose twitching and an adorable smile against his face. When he heard soft even breaths, he smiled again. Pressing a kiss against Magnus' cheek and on the forming hickey on the side of his neck. He sighed. He was falling in love with him. And he had no problem with this at all. He hugged Magnus tightly. He was going to do whatever it took to make Magnus his and make him stay. To show him his true feelings and have rule this cabal beside him every day.


	43. Chapter 43

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raphael really doesn't know why Asmodeus has neglected Magnus so much. So he intends to try and figure that out. Through any means.

Raphael sighed, slowly moving over towards where his boss was standing. Gripping the disgusting hospital coffee in his hands. He would have brought something better, but the nearest place that sold the actual good stuff was fifteen minutes away by car. And he was ordered to stay close in case of anything. He walked over to his boss, handing him the cup. "Here you are sir." he said to him.

Asmodeus nodded, taking the cup. "I hate hospital coffee." he huffed, taking a sip anyways.

"I hate anything edible in a hospital." Raphael said.

Asmodeus chuckled."Thank you Raphael."

Raphael nodded. "How is everyone?"

"Nothing too bad. Just one of our men needed real surgery. And that was someone who had gotten right in front of me to protect me from the flames." he explained. "Everyone else has gone home and that man's family has been notified."

Raphael nodded in understanding. Asmodeus slowly sat down onto a seat behind him, resting his elbows against his knees. Raphael inhaled. He had been working for Asmodeus for a long time. And every day it shocked him how little care he had for Magnus. He inhaled. He wasn't sure if this was apart of Lightwood's plan. But it could be apart of his. Even if it meant that he might earn a broken rib or a black eye.

"You seem to show a lot more compassion for one of your mercenaries than your own son." he said.

"As I do recall Santiago, you weren't the one out there in the damn woods looking for him." he snapped back. "Do not get on my bad side right now."

Raphael exhaled. He really needed to get to him. He needed to get information. An understanding. He could give this information to Magnus and not only that, but slowly explain to him why teaming up with someone like Valentine is wrong. He sighed.

He for sure was going to end up with a bruised eye.

If it kept Magnus safe, he would jump in front of a fast-paced train.

Oh well.

He turned over to his boss. "No." he said.

"No what?" Asmodeus called, looking up at him.

Raphael exhaled. He needed to do this now. "You are a horrible father." he stated.

"Watch it Santiago." Asmodeus warned.

"No, you are. You've never been there for him. For Magnus. But when the opportunity arises when he's useful, then you jump on the bandwagon?" Raphael asked, taunting him. "What did Valentine promise you after he's returned?"

"Santiago-"

"What? That you would be a cabal leader yourself instead of a weapon's master?"

"Watch yourself boy!"

"Money? Drugs? Heard that Valentine has lots of those!"

"Last warning before I breaking your fucking teeth."

"Or maybe some women? Huh? You lonely piece of trash needed an ass to fuck?"

That struck a nerve. Asmodeus slammed his coffee down on the chair's armrest, not even caring that it spilled all over his hand, the empty chair beside him and one of his guard's thighs. He grabbed Raphael by the back of the neck, pulling on his baby hairs along the way. He hissed in pain as Asmodeus stormed off with him, leading him somewhere. To the naked eye, it looked like maybe Raphael had a headache from the way he was gripping his temples and that the older Bane was helping. Asmodeus pushed opened a door and shoved Raphael inside.

Raphael fell down onto his knees, trying his best to break his fall with his palms. He looked up, seeing that he was inside of some sort of private waiting room. Asmodeus slammed the door to it, covering the doorknob with a chair. He pulled off his blazer and held it up to the small window that the door provided. He looked over, seeing no security camera. He rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, moving over to punch Raphael right in the jaw. Raphael held his hand up, but the hit never came. Instead, Asmodeus picked him up the collar of his shirt, shaking him roughly like a ragdoll. There was anger in his eyes. But also...

Sadness? Grief?

"You... you don't know a damn thing!" he hissed at him, shaking him once again. "You don't know anything! About me or what I have done for my son!"

Raphael stared up at him, genuinely worried for him and kind of afraid. What was he talking about? He slowly raised his hands in front of him, trying to signal his apology. Asmodeus shoved him down, turning away from him and wiping his eyes. Raphael slowly moved up onto his elbows. "What do you mean?"

"You have no idea what I have gone through. What I have done... what I needed to do. What sacrifices I had to make." he said. "Do not put words in my mouth or thoughts in my head about my own son when you don't even know the half of it!"

"Then don't you think I deserve to know?" Raphael called.

"After that all you spewed, I think that you deserve-"

"No. I'm serious now. Sir, I know Magnus... better than anyone. I knew him before I began working for you. I've heard all the things that he's said. All of the disappointment and resentment he has for you." he said. "And not only that but before this entire fiasco happened, I was by his side protecting him to the very end. Being there for him. I was a family for him. Don't you think that I should know why you do these things at least?"

"I pay you to help me when needed to keep your mouth shut. I also put money in your bank account to keep my son from this life!"

"Why? Why did you have to keep him from it? There is no need."

"Stop it." Asmodeus called.

"You're keeping something hidden. There's something that you're not telling me here." Raphael said to him.

Asmodeus scoffed. "Oh I'm sorry, when am I obligated to tell you every little detail in my life? Hm? You don't need to know anything!"

"But I do. I am your one barrier to Magnus. I was your one barrier. And if anything when this is all over and we get him back, he will speak to me first."

"He hates you."

"But he hates you more. I lied sure. But you've never been there. There are easier things to get over. I'll be-"

Asmodeus turned away from him. "Raphael Santiago." he stated. "Listen to me. And listen to me well. I am going to make things right with him! That is my son! My boy! I am going to do whatever it takes! I won't have him taken away from me again!"

Raphael raised his eyebrows. "Again?" Asmodeus cursed, slapping himself for letting that slip out. "What... what are you talking about."

Slowly, Asmodeus lowered himself down onto a chair inside the room. He rested his head against his hand. "There is so much that I tried to keep from him. But the world just surprises you and shows you how positively cruel people can be. Especially in this life." Raphael sat down next to him, looking over at him. He didn't speak. He just looked him. Showing him that he was listening. Asmodeus exhaled. "A long time ago, I slowly got into the weapon's business. I was new to this life and I needed to earn money and respect. So I started selling to some cabals. The main one being the Lightwoods. I sold to Alec's father, Robert Lightwood and to his father before he was killed. From there, I became highly sought after. People wanted my guns along with my brain.

"My opinion seemed to become important for meetings, shootouts and wars if it came to that. But anyways, after my name became well known I made the acquaintance of a lovely young woman. She wasn't a part of this life. She was a just a small boutique owner in Brooklyn. Just moved here from Indonesia. I fell in love with her and started to use my money to try and make her the happiest that she had ever been."

Raphael couldn't help but smile. "What was her name?"

Asmodeus couldn't help but grin. "Her name was Ndari. And she was going to be my wife. Ndari Bane."

"What happened to her?"

"She got pregnant. When she did, I proposed. She said yes. And the next step in our journey was to get married and start our family. But my beautiful bride to be ended up committing suicide six months after she gave birth to Magnus."

"Why did she do that?"

"She had been depressed for years. No matter what I did, there were always good days and bad days that she had. But I had always assumed that she got tired of being a mother to her son. But the truth came out eventually. A month after her funeral, someone informed me of what happened. A person from an up and coming crime family found Ndari. They thought that they would ensure my cooperation with them if they showed me what they were capable of. By... by telling her before I was ready... They were absolutely wrong. After learning that, I killed them all. Every last one of them. They ruined all the happiness I had. I lost it. They were dead and so was my... my bride."

Raphael sighed. "When you said, taken away again-"

"When Magnus turned nine months old, he was kidnapped. His nanny had been injured in the break-in and my son was nowhere to be found. I had thought that I had made myself clear. But apparently, someone still needed the memo. And so, I went off to find my son. The kidnapper was another weapons dealer. This one wanted me out of the game or she would start cutting off Magnus' toes. She ended up being rushed to the hospital with shattered legs, a broken spine and none of her own toes. And to this day, she spends every single day in a home.

"I had fully expected to show Magnus this life and show him how to defend himself against it. I even intended with him to continue my name by either doing what I do or marrying off into a cabal. But I got my little baby boy back and seeing the tears stream down his face and the utter confusion in his eyes. I knew that as he got older, he would be in more danger. So if I made it seem to the world that he didn't matter to me. No one would go after him. And no one did. And in doing so, I sacrificed so many moments with my son just to protect him. His day of school, school plays, awards... everything...

"But all of that is ruined. And I won't just blame you for it. It's my fault too. If I can go back and change the past I would have. I would do anything to get those moments back with Magnus but I fucking can't!" he yelled, getting up from his chair and rubbing his eyes to hide the impending tears. "I just... I won't stop protecting him just because he's an adult. In my eyes. He will always be my baby boy. And if doing what I have to now with the Morgensterns means that I can get him back safely in my arms then I will do whatever it takes!"

Raphael got up. "But at what cost?" he said. "What is Valentine making you do?"

"He doesn't want anything from me, I don't understand what you don't get abut that." he said. "We all want the same thing. His son and I want Lightwood punished for kidnapping Magnus and him home safely."

"But what about Valentine? What could he-"

"He wants Lightwood off the top of the list and nothing more."

"You and I both know that that's not true."

"True or not, I am doing what I have to to save Magnus. I will handle Valentine if it comes to that, no worries. But right now... right now getting him home is the top priority." Asmodeus turned away."I need to see if Nathaniel is out of surgery."

Raphael huffed, pulling him back as he tried to walk off. "Please. He's planning something. I know that it has to do with Magnus."

Asmodeus exhaled, yanking his arm back. "I don't trust Valentine fully either. But what other choice do I have?" he said. "Besides, you don't know that for sure. You have no proof to show me otherwise."

He turned over, picking up his blazer and moving the chair out of the doorway before leaving. Raphael ran his hands through his hair. He knew that Bane was ruthless. But he didn't know that it was all because of what others had done. How his life was ruined for his son and fiancee. He sighed, sitting back down his seat. _I'm sorry that all of this happened,_ he thought to himself. _But something else will happen to Magnus if I don't stop Valentine._

Raphael slowly pulled himself back into the main lobby. But when he looked over, he realized that he was alone. Asmodeus was gone. And he was the only visitor there. He sighed.

This was a small step in helping everything. If Asmodeus dropped out of Valentine's plan and Lightwood had a heads up on said plan, this could all end. There would be no war but everyone would be okay. Most importantly Magnus. He inhaled, turning away from the nurses at the desk and going towards the elevator hallway. He pulled out his phone as he stepped into an empty elevator. Lucky him. He scrolled his down his phone and typed in the number that he was sure would help. That he knew would help. He put it up to his ear, leaning against the wall behind him. The phone rang for a couple of moments before the other end answered. _"Hello?"_

"Hey." he called back. "I need your help."

_"When do you not need my help? Isn't that all that you call me for?"_

"I'm serious this time. I don't have time to joke around. Besides, I call you sometimes for drinks. Or dinner."

 _"Sure pal."_ He heard an exhale from the other side of the call. _"What kind of information do you need this time?"_

"I don't need the information. I need a distraction." he said.

_"A distraction?"_

"Yes."

_"From what? Or for who?"_

"It's for a someone this time." Raphael said to him.

_"Okay. Who?"_

"Valentine."

There was silence on the other side. _"Raphael... look, you know that I will do anything to help you. But I don't think that I can do something like that."_

"Come on." Raphael called. "You have connections all over. You know people that can help me. You know a lot about some cabals and their bosses. You have to have something. I'm begging you here."

The elevator doors opened. Raphael quickly shuffled out, making his way towards the parking lot while keeping his head done for others around him. He heard the other line exhale. _"Raphael. I don't know about something like this."_

"Please. There must be something."

There was a long pause. Raphael started to fear that there would be no answer from the end and that he would be on his own from that point on. _"Where are you right now?"_

"I'm leaving the hospital. Why?"

_"I'm texting you an address. Meet me there._

Raphael didn't get to ask anymore as the call shut off and he heard the ding. He pulled it back and shoved his phone inside of his blazer pocket. He hoped that would be good info. He prayed that it was.

"I got him Bane." he whispered, rushing towards his car.


	44. Chapter 44

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec surprises Magnus... again.

Alec hummed, slowly coming back into consciousness. He huffed, not wanting to wake up yet, as he begun slowly pulling himself up. But he came to a stop when he felt a weight against his chest. He turned over, trying see just who it was. But immediately, when he turned his head and looked over, a smile came against his lips. He smiled widely, seeing that Magnus was right there. Sleeping right beside him. He was wearing Alec's sweater while he was curled up tightly against his body. His cheek was pressed up against his pectoral as tiny, inaudible snores came from his nose. He looked adorable. Alec smiled again, knowing that he had been calling Magnus kitten for a reason. Alec moved his hand over, pressing the tip of his finger lightly up against his nose. It twitched from the touch and a smile curled up against Magnus' lips. Alec smiled. He was so beautiful. So wonderful. He hugged him tighter.

This seemed so natural to him. Being here with Magnus. There was a completely love struck blush covering his cheeks as he looked down at the man. Considering that Alec had never really cuddled or spent the night with his partners, it was just so strangely easy for him to be with Magnus Bane. He wasn't someone to push out the door. Magnus was forevermore for him. He slowly moved down, pressing a kiss against his cheek. Magnus was so beautiful. And he wanted him to be right here in his bed every morning, noon and night.

Slowly, Alec moved off of Magnus. Resting him lightly and comfortably against his wide bed and multitude of pillows. He leaned, picking up a pair of sweatpants for him to put on. He looked at himself in the mirror. He noticed the way he looked different. And not in the way that was the claw marks were marred red and shined all over his back, shoulders and neck. Even though he loved seeing them. No. It was him in general. He was smiling way more. His skin was glowing. Everything about him was so different. He smiled, turning over to the bed. It was all because of him. Magnus had changed him. And he was pretty sure that he would continue to change him if he stayed. He really wanted Magnus to stay. He moved back over to the bed, kneeling right next to Magnus' side. His nose twitched once again and he hummed.

Alec smiled. He moved over from the bed, exiting the room for a second. He returned quickly, carrying a tray filled with food. He moved back to the bed, setting down the tray right next to Magnus. He moved over, pouring a cup of tea. The fruity notes of the tea wafted in the air of the room, making Magnus hum. He slowly raised up from the bed, looking over for the source. Alec smiled, seeing him awake and the adorable way that his eyes drooped from sleep. "Good morning kitten." he said.

Magnus hummed, not minding the nickname at this time in the day. "Good morning Alexander." he said back to him.

Alec moved over, cupping the back of his neck and pressing a kiss against his lips. Magnus kissed him back, relishing in the sweet way that his lips tasted. Like coffee and cinnamon. They pulled away, both staring at the other with a lovey dovey stare. Like a filter was over the other in the movies.. Alec held out to Magnus the cup of tea that he poured. "Here. It's peach." he said. "Careful."

Magnus took the cup with a smile. "Thank you Alexander." he said.

Alec smiled back, laying down against the bed next to him. He picked up a stray grape as Magnus slowly sipped the hot drink. "How was last night for you?" he asked. "Were you okay?"

"I was fine. It was just a bit overwhelming."

"Why?"

"Just because I haven't done it in a long time Alexander. No need to fret."

"Oh. Alright."

"But I can definitely tell you that you were amazing though my darling." he said with a smile.

Alec smiled, his cheekbones popping out and being naturally highlighted from his blush. "I'm so glad that I was able to please you sweetheart." he said to him, pressing a kiss to the back of his ear. "It was just as amazing for me as it was for you."

Magnus smiled, setting down the tea. "So... tell me... what's on the agenda for today?" he asked.

"I was going to try and get some work done. With this whole gang war impending, I need to be prepared. And I can't just ignore all of my other duties though. There are some things that I have to take care of." he said.

Magnus hummed. "Is there anything that I can do to help you?" he said.

"You shouldn't be concerned with me and what I have going on in the cabals."

"I kind of am included already Alexander. And I don't want to be a mooch."

"You're not a mooch." he said, pressing a kiss against Magnus' temple. "You are my boyfriend and deserve literally every ounce of love and affection that I can muster. I am giving you this. You don't owe me a thing."

Magnus pouted out his lip, taking a piece of pineapple and biting into it. "I still think that I could be a valuable asset."

"Sure you are kitten." Alec said, climbing over him. "Valuable to me and only me."

"Oh! How wonderful to be yours." Magnus hummed, going along with the joke.

The two giggled before meeting in a soft passionate kiss. Magnus held Alec's neck, rubbing the spot where he had left a scratch. Alec reached over to pull the blanket off Magnus' lower body and taking his underwear off. But, because of fucking course, as he did that, there was a knock at the door. Alec groaned in annoyance, leaning up. Magnus just chuckled. Alec held Magnus close to him, looking over at the door. "WHO'S THERE?!" he bellowed.

"Alexander!" Magnus called, laughing.

"It's just me sir."

Alec got up from the bed, covering Magnus up to his collarbone in blankets before moving to and opening the door. "Underhill." he called.

"I came back as soon as I could. I'm sorry to leave on such short notice." he said, looking through and at the bed. "Oh. Um... hello Magnus. Good morning."

"Good morning Andrew." Magnus called with a smile.

Underhill nodded at him, before turning back over to his boss. "I have already spoken with a few of my colleagues in Russia before I left. They're prepared to fly out on your command if need be."

"Thank you for that Underhill, but I don't think that we will be needing them. I appriecate their loyalty to me though." he said, clapping his hand against the other man's shoulder. "I'm glad to have you back."

"Sorry that I couldn't be here for the huge invasion."

"Don't apologize." he said. "I'm just glad to have one of my best mercenaries and my assistant back. But speaking of, I do have a job that I would like to assign to you."

"Oh yes. Anything sir."

Alec turned over to Magnus, holding out his hand to him. Magnus slowly pulled the duvet up higher, wrapping it around him as to not show off his hickeys and nicks to Underhill. They were for him and Alec. Magnus took his boyfriend's hand as he stood in the doorway. He waved at him once again, smiling. Underhill smiled back at him. Alec pulled him close to his chest, an arm tightly against his chest. "Underhill, I would like for you to be Magnus' personal security for the day."

"Personal security?" Magnus repeated. "I'm not really allowed to leave the-"

"Says who?"

"Says you."

Alec chuckled. "That was before you became mine and we were still strangers. And besides, even though you are my boyfriend, you do not need my permission to leave this place. You are your own person who can make his own decisions." he stated. "I only ask that you simply go with someone that I trust to protect you. That someone being Underhill."

"But why? I'm not going anywhere." Magnus said.

Alec hummed. "You kind of are." he said. "I planned something for you."

"For me?"

"Yes my love."

"Should I step outside?" Underhill called.

Magnus blushed at Alec. "That's very sweet of you to do for me." he said. "Am I allowed to ask what is planned?"

"No." Alec said with a smile. "You just go and get pretty. And text me when you're finished."

"Alexander, I don't think that you've quite realized. But I don't have a phone. Mine is-"

"At home?" Alec finished, pulling something out quickly from behind his back.

Magnus looked down, his eyes widening seeing his phone. Sure there was a crack at the top of it, but it didn't actually bother him. It was a material item. He held in his hand, looking over at it, "How did you-"

"I sent someone over there. They brought this back for me." he stated. "Thought you should have it when I need to find you."

Magnus smiled and nodded. He pressed a kiss against his lips. Alec smiled, kissing him back. He was planning on making him happy all of the time. If this was the first step, he sure as hell didn't mind.

Underhill coughed. Feeling out of place and awkward in his spot. "Sorry should I uh..."

Alec slowly pulled away. "Underhill, make sure to get a car for Magnus ready." he said. "My driver should know where to take him."

Underhill nodded, looking over at Magnus. "It'll be my pleasure to work with you then." he said. "I shall meet you in the front of the Institute."

Magnus smiled back at him, giving him a curt nod. Underhill turned on his heel and left. Slowly, he turned to meet Alec's eyes. "Why did you want to surprise me today?" he asked.

"Because I really want you to be happy." Alec said. "When you come back, I want to do something with just us. But I feel like this was way long overdue."

Magnus raised his eyebrow, but smiled nonetheless. "Okay then."

"I'll call you baby." he said.

"Goodbye then Alexander." Magnus said, walking out of the room to go and get dressed.

Alec smiled. Leaning against the door frame. Sooner than anyone thought, Magnus would be by his side for good. He would be his cabal husband. And together they would do everything it took to keep peace.

* * *

Underhill held his hand out, helping Magnus out of the car. Magnus gave him a curt smile, covering his eyes from the sun. Underhill crossed his wrists behind his back with an emotionless glare, slowly moving with Magnus. He adjusted his sunglasses, following Underhill. "Where is Alexander making you take me?" he asked.

"Don't worry. We're not going to some sort of chophouse. Or even the police." he said. "I think that this surprise is actually quite sweet. And I've known Alec as someone to never be sweet."

"I kind of expected that." Magnus said. "How long have you known Alec?"

"I've been working for him for a couple of years. I am actually still pretty new to some things about this life if I am being totally honest with you. I just started about four or five years ago. I strive hard to do what needs to be done." he said. "I started in the army. I hurt my eyes terribly hard during one attack and ended up discharged."

"That's horrible. What happened?"

"Flashbang. I threw myself into it to protect my friend."

"That is very noble."

"Thank you. Anyways, I couldn't see well for a couple of months. I needed a cane and special glasses. But when I started to work for Alec, he helped me. There was a drug that this corrupt businessman was hiding when it came to my case. And he wanted thousands for it. We got rid of him and I earned my eyesight back.:

Magnus chuckled. "And you said that Alec wasn't sweet."

Underhill chuckled. "He really is. Just don't tell him I said that."

The two made it down the sidewalk, coming into a nice conversation. Underhill pulled into a small little studio, opening the door for him. "Go on in." he said. "I have to do a sweep. And it looks to me that you need privacy."

Magnus raised his eyebrow, but nodded. He walked inside. It was a warm and inviting place. Painted a plum red with birch wood floors. He shucked off his glasses and his coat, looking inside. "Hello?" he called. "Someone here?"

He slowly kept on going, walking in and seeing an abundance of tables. He raised his eyebrow, confused. He set down his jacket on one of them. "Magnus!"

He turned over, seeing someone buckle their towards him despite the darkness of the room. The person flicked on the lights. It blinded him for a moment. But he smiled, seeing who it was as his eyes finally adjusted. "Simon?... Oh, Simon!" he cried.

He rushed over to him as well, hugging Simon as tightly as he could. Simon hugged him back, squeezing him. "Oh my goodness! Oh my... I was so worried about you! Oh my goodness." he pulled away, cupping his friend's cheek. "You're not hurt! Thank everyone and anyone that you're not hurt."

Magnus smiled widely, hugging him again. "I haven't seen you in such a long time... it's felt like years... it has been too long my friend."

Simon smiled. He pulled him by his hand and the two of them sat down at one of the tables. Magnus wiped the tears that were about to drip down his eyes. Simon rubbed his hand with a smile. "I need to explain to you everything that's happened. I need to just tell you that-"

"Magnus. I already know the issue." Simon said. "I understand what's happened."

"How?"

"I kinda noticed something with Raphael."

"He forced it outta me."

Magnus looked past Simon and smiled seeing Raphael there. Raphael had his hands shoved into his jacket with a small grin on his lips. And right next to him was Clary. Clary smiled, waving at her friend. She walked over to him, sitting next to him and hugging him tightly. Magnus hugged her back. "Oh biscuit. What are you doing here?" he called.

"I told Jonathan that I still need to work in order to keep my sanity. He thought that I went to the pottery place." she said. "Mabel was able to help cover for me."

"Bless that sweet old lady." Raphael said, pulling off his coat.

"I've missed you all so so much." Magnus said, wiping the tears around his eyes.

Clary smiled, pulling up a picnic basket. "We have so much to catch up on." she said.

Magnus smiled, nodding at her. They all sat down. Raphael pulled out the food and served them all. Magnus turned over to Simon, sipping the sangria that had been brought. "I haven't seen you the most."

Simon nodded, biting into the burger. "Yeah. I know. I'm sorry to worry you. I couldn't really get into contact with you. But once Raphael told me-"

"Correction." Raphael called. "You figured it out and forced it out of me."

"Let me finish Snow White." Simon chuckled, earning the finger from Raphael. "Once Raphael told me what was happening, I knew that he was going to keep you safe. But then I started to realize that you were also safe alongside this Alec guy, I knew that I had nothing to worry about." he explained.

"I am perfectly safe with Alec. Not to worry. But, enough about those damned cabals. So what have you been up to since then?" Magnus asked. "Just work?"

"Work isn't something I would like to consider that I happily spend my time with." Simon said, sipping his drink. "No I've been... I've been seeing someone."

Clary's eyes widened. "Wait? What?"

"You're seeing someone?" Magnus yelled. "This just so has to happen when all our lives changed!"

"It is not a big deal." Simon said to them.

"Kind of is." Raphael added, wiping some sauce from his lips.

"When is the last time you've dated someone?" Clary added. "Do you have a picture? Who is she? What's her name?"

"One question at a time please." Simon called out, waving his hands at them. "Firstly, you all know that I haven't dated a girl since high school. Secondly, her name is Isabelle."

Magnus raised his eyebrow. "Isabelle. Isabelle who?"

"Lightwood."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Raphael and Magnus both said in unison.

"What?" he called.

"What is the name of the man that kidnapped Magnus?" Raphael asked him rhetorically.

"Not kidnap." Magnus corrected. "Protected. And I'm not kidnapped anymore."

"Right. You two are lovers." Clary added, shrugging her shoulders with a wide grin against his lips.

Magnus shoved her lightly. "Simon, you're dating the sister of my boyfriend."

"I know." Simon said. "It's just... she said that she's not really involved. She said that she's there to help medically. And I started to hear from Raphael that you were safe, so I assumed she was too. So I didn't worry and kept trying to see her."

Raphael rolled his eyes.

Clary swooned. "Aww! You two can be siblings soon!"

"In laws." Magnus and Simon corrected. But they didn't have a problem with it.

"And besides, it would be the same for you very soon." Raphael added, pouring himself some more sangria.

"How?"

"Jace is Alec's best man. Right hand. But they were raised as brothers. You would be a sister in law to him as well if you two end up getting married."

Magnus smiled. "I guess that our family values would be actual family soon." he said with a smile.

Simon smiled with him. Raphael grinned. He was happy now that they were together again. Simon slowly turned over to him. "What about you?" he asked.

"Me?"

"Yeah." Clary called. "What have you been up to?"

Raphael hummed. He wasn't going to worry them about his plans to stop Valentine. If they knew, they probably wouldn't let him leave. He set down his glass, picking up a grape tomato. "I'm... just trying to make sure that no one figures out that I'm informing Alec." he said.

"Informing Alec about what?" Simon asked. "Oh! Are you a mole! That's cool!"

"No. Not cool." Raphael stated back. "Very dangerous."

"What have you been telling Alec?" Magnus asked.

"That I haven't found anything." Raphael said to him. "But slowly but surely, I will find something that will help to stop Valentine's plan."

Magnus slowly smiled. He leaned over the table and rubbed his friend's hand. "As long as you are not endangering yourself tok much Raph."

Raphael smiled. "I'm not Magnus."

_I guess that I am lying to you again._

"When this is all over and I can finally see you in public again, I think we should go on a double date." Simon huffed.

"When this is all over, we should go on vacation." Magnus huffed.

"You promise?" Clary and Raphael said.

Magnus smiled, raising his glass. "I promise."

Everyone else shared the same grin, raising their glasses and clinking them together.

* * *

"You didn't need to have to do that for me Alexander."

Alec looked up from his desk. He smiled, setting down his pen and adjusting his turtleneck. He slowly strode over towards Magnus, who was standing in the doorway, twirling his finger against his necklace.

"I've kept you away long enough." he said to him, moving his fingers to the small of his back. "How was it?"

"I've missed them." Magnus said. "Thank you for calling them."

"I had a feeling that you wanted to see them. Especially Simon." Alec said with a grin, caressing his cheek. 

"Now I'm going to have to surprise you." Magnus said.

"No. You don't-"

"No. I do. And I think that I know the perfect way."

"There is no perfect way to surprise me because I cannot be surprised. I am happy with you just here with me."

"Still. I am going to surprise you."

Alec chuckled. "How so? I doubt that you will be able to find a legitimate way to surprise me."

"I know you Alexander. And I know the way the surprise you." Magnus said, cocking out his hip with a smile.

Alec chuckled, moving over and towering over his shorter boyfriend. "Well then... surprise me baby."


	45. Chapter 45

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke thinks that solving this issue diplomatically will be great for everyone, cabal or not. So he uses some saved favors from years ago to try and find common ground on Valentine's side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The ending of this chapter is going to get pretty dirty. So... just a warning. This isn't smut, so I won't use my smut symbols. Those are special and only for the couples that I really love (I was thinking of doing Clace or Sizzy smut. Let me know). But I am including just a warning symbol just in case.
> 
> So when you see three 🚨, that is when it starts and ends. But, as always with my use of symbols, if you skip the scene you miss out on some important stuff. Kay, kay. Sorry for the late update. Love ya. ❤

_Luke..._

_Luke..._

_"Lucian."_

_He turned over, smiling seeing it who it was calling him. She was always so beautiful. Maryse's long hair flew in the wind as she slowly approached him, like she was a Disney princess. Luke exhaled, feeling the hard weight inside of his pocket. He moved over to meet her halfway, moving his hands over to touch her. He wrapped her arms around her waist, moving down and pressing a kiss against her lips. Maryse huffed, moving away from him. Luke raised his eyebrow. "What's wrong?" he asked._

_Maryse exhaled. "Lucian... listen. I do not want you to get upset." she said. "I just... I don't... I don't..."_

_Luke looked over seeing the tears glinting in her eyes. He moved his hands over and took her shoulders. "Maryse... what is it? What's wrong?"_

_Maryse wiped the tears from her eyes. "Robert... Robert asked me to marry him today."_

_Luke looked down at her, staring. "So... what did you say?"_

_"Lucian." she called to him, moving to cup his cheeks._

_He moved back from her. "Maryse. What did you say to him?"_

_She sighed. "I didn't say yes..."_

_There was a pause. A long one. Luke had been with her for so long that he knew when she was done talking or when she needed a second. But she didn't finish this time. She was still going on. "Yet." he finished, an angry and upset snarl forming on his lips._

_"Lucian-"_

_"Do not call me that. You are going to tell him yes, right? You are going to marry him?! Him? Of all people, are you serious Maryse?!"_

_"Lucian-"_

_"Do not call me that... don't you dare!"_

_"Please. I just need to explain. You should let me explain it."_

_"What is there to explain? No matter your reasoning, you have basically just told me that you do not love me enough and you never will."_

_"I do love you."_

_"Do you now? Okay then, prove it."_

_Luke fell down onto his knees, looking up at her. He went inside of his pocket and pulled out his own ring box. He opened it up, showing off her ring. Maryse looked down at him. Her tears broke the barrier, falling down her cheeks. Her makeup falling with it. Luke looked up at her, waiting to see what would happen. Maryse exhaled, turning her head aside. Luke sighed. There. That was his answer. He exhaled, getting up and closing the box with a snap. Maryse moved over to him. "Lu-"_

_"Why?" he asked. "Just tell me why."_

_Maryse sighed, looking down. "I do love you. I always have. It's just... It's just Robert can offer me protection for me and if my children... if our children need anything, they can get it. And with my mother forcing this on me-"_

_"Don't blame this on your mother. As insufferable as she is, you have a choice to make. Going along with her is a choice. And you're ignoring that I can and have protected you. That I've wanted children with you. But that means nothing now. You had a choice. And you're making it right now." he asked, before sighing again. "Well then... I'm happy for you. Congratulations. I have nothing more to say than that."_

_He moved over, walking past her. Maryse turned over to him. She reached towards him, gripping his elbow. Luke exhaled, yanking it free. "Lucian, please!" she called._

_He didn't even bother to turn over to her. He wiped the tears in his eyes. "And... be sure to tell your wonderful fiance that I will be quitting. He can find a new personal bodyguard."_

_Maryse was shaking as she cried. "Lucian."_

_"Oh." he called, taking his box and setting it down against the ground. "Do with the ring as you wish. It was never meant for me anyways."_

* * *

That memory still brought chills to his spine. He remembered it so vividly. The way that his emotions had taken over. The way that Maryse shook like a leaf when he exposed her. The way he sobbed drunk in his apartment until his roommate came home with french fries. And it hurt inside thinking about what could have been if she had just gone with her heart and said yes. And yet here was was. Doing something for her. Trying to help her. Because he still loved her deep down. He might not say it first hand. But he knew that there would always be love for her. And helping her... it was all that he will ever do. That's why he was here. That's why he was sitting alone in this bar. For Maryse. The Maryse that he had at first believed would be his wife. He couldn't help but smile.

Being with her might have been a thing in the past, but he would still try to help her. He would still do whatever it took for her. Luke looked up, seeing the hostess come back over to his table. Leading someone behind her. Luke looked over, seeing Valentine pull out the chair and sit out. He gave a small smile. "Luke Garroway." he said. "Wow. I did not expect to see you here. I guess that congratulations is in order. I heard about the promotion."

"Thank you." Luke said.

"I hope that you are not here to arrest me. I do not remember doing anything wrong." he said.

Luke shook his head. "No. I am not here to arrest you." he said. "I would have thought that because I was apart of a cabal you would trust that I leave certain things to you."

Valentine chuckled. "Very true." he said, waving around the waiter. "Jack and coke sir."

The waiter nodded. "And for you sir?"

"I'll just have a beer." he said. The waiter nodded, leaving to get their drinks. Luke turned over to him. "I do have something I would like to speak with you about."

"Alright then. As long as there is nothing that is police involved, I will speak with you about anything you wish."

"It's about Lightwoods."

"The Lightwoods? From what I remember, I thought that you were done with the Lightwoods."

"I was done. But you and I both know that you can't exactly just leave this life.'

"Very true. Well then, what is it about the Lightwoods you want to discuss?"

"Firstly, before I start. I might need your side of the story." he said to him as the waiter returned. He took his bottle from him with a grin.

"I am going to have to assume you are talking about the Magnus Bane predicament." he said, sipping his drink.

"Yes."

"Almighty God. Whatever Lightwood has told you, he is lying."

"It wasn't him. It was actually... Maryse who contacted me."

Valentine sneered. "After all these years you still do as she asks you?"

Luke exhaled. "I am not speaking about her specifically. She believes that this matter can be solved diplomatically. That's why I'm here."

"This isn't The Pentagon Luke. We do not solve things diplomatically."

"But you can agree with me when I say that there is no need for an all out mob war for one person."

Valentine hummed. He leaned back in his chair, picking at the bowl of peanuts that the bar just provided. "I guess so." he stated.

Luke nodded. "So tell me. What is the problem?"

"You know Bane. How important he is in this life even though he is not a cabal leader. Lightwood's men kidnapped his son from his home. Apparently they claim it was an accident that he was taken. But regardless, Lightwood did not release him into the custody of his father or of my son."

"Why of your son?"

"Magnus knows my children. My daughter and him are close friends and my son apparently is quite infatuated with him."

"Alright then. So that is why all of turmoil?"

"Yes. Lightwood deliberately broke that rule."

"What rule?"

"No harm comes to family members. Magnus Bane was never meant to be apart of that life according to his father. And when Bane sent a sqaud of men to rescue him, their leader was cut in half."

"Figuratively?"

"This is Robert's son. What do you think?"

Luke unconsciously rubbed his neck. "So literally then."

"Precisely." Valentine stated with a nod, chucking a bad peanut over his shoulder.

"So, that is why you and Bane have teamed up?" he said.

"Yes. We all care about the well being of Magnus." Valentine sated.

Luke nodded. "Okay then." he said to him. "Tell me then, how can we solve this issue then without a wide war with multiple casualities."

Valentine hummed. "You are asking me? You should be asking Bane. This is his son and he really is the leader in this situation."

"Asmodeus is hard to get into contact with unless you are a cabal leader yourself. So that is why I am here with you. And I have a feeling that you can pretty much sum up what he would want."

"That I can."

"Yes. How can this be made right?"

Valentine hummed. "Okay." he said. "I believe that we can solve this without unneeded bloodshed. There'd be a rendezvous. Lightwood from there would return Magnus to his father. And we could even make peace from there."

"Well then... if we could do that, all that would need to insured is he is there safely. Correct?"

"Precisely."

Luke nodded. "Then, I will get in contact with you and the Lightwoods and see what I can do for this to happen." he said. "However, Magnus would have to be examined twice."

"Examined? For what?"

"Injuries. If he is injuried in any sort of way, in your accomplice's hands or in Lightwood's that is where I will have to draw the line and get involved as a police officer.

Valentine nodded. "Got it." he said to him.

Luke pulled himself up from the chair and pulled on his jacket. "We will be in contact."

He nodded, seeing him leave the bar. He chuckled, sipping his drink. He set it down, leaving a hefty tip. He left and walked towards the van that he had left there at the corner. He stepped inside the passenger seat sighing. Jonathan looked over at him from the driver's seat. "So." he called. "What happened? Who was there?"

"And old friend." Valentine said, turning to his son and smiling wide. "And an opportunity has arose. We will no longer need to attack Lightwood with Magnus there."

"What? How?" Jonathan asked.

Valentine sneered. "There is a plan instated. And it will be a lot more peaceful and a lot more romantic that we had believed. I'm going have to make some modifications."

* * *

He knew everything about Magnus.

Every little detail.

He knew that his favorite color was violet. That his favorite makeup product was glitter. That he's always wanted a cat. That he would have been a doctor if not for his love for writing. Every single detail about Magnus Bane. He knew. As he hummed his favorite song, he knew that he was and will always be perfect for Magnus Bane. He moved his head from side to side, just thinking of Magnus' favorite song.

_What if we move to Canada and_

_Buy some things we don't need_

_Bring your mother's dog, a paintbrush and some candy_

Jonathan bit his lip. The song was about them. This was the love that they were going to have. Moving away from all of this is what he wanted. Moving with Magnus and having the life that they were meant to have.

_And when they talk about those people who up and leave_

_That could be us, that could be you and me_

Jonathan looked over at himself at the wide mirror. He let out a small gruff, overlooking his body. He was strong. Buff. He considered himself so lucky to look like this. His body practically chiseled out of stone. He could protect Magnus Bane. There was a lot that he could do to keep him safe. He was trained to. Punching enemies. Shooting them. Making them suffer. Magnus will never have to worry about anything in the world. He'd be safe with him.

What was that bastard Lightwood talking about? He knew nothing. He was perfect for Magnus. And Magnus was perfect for him.

He turned over, laying down against the soft sheets. He bit his lip in thought. He could see his entire life with Magnus. Thinking about everything that would be in their life. He could see multiple dates. The things that Magnus and him would see together. He would take him to Coney Island to see the fireworks. Times Sqaure for the ball drop. California to see the Hollywood sign. Paris even. Tokyo. Dubai. Greece. Anywhere or anything that Magnus wanted, he would gladly give to him. He would do anything for Magnus. Magnus would appreciate it. He wasn't a spoiled little brat. He was perfect. Wonderful.

He was his. His love. His man. His bitch. Magnus Bane was very soon going to belong to him.

🚨🚨🚨

Just thinking of Magnus made him hard. Jonathan bit his lip as his dick started to rise and get the tiniest bit sensitive. He pushed his head back, shoving his hand down his pants and pushing it aside. He could just imagine what it would be like if Magnus was underneath of him. His creamy tan skin would shine with sweat as he held him down. He would probably keep his wrists pinned right above his head. Or maybe he would bind them to the headboard. Maybe rope? Some cuffs? Who knew? But what he did, he knew that Magnus would love it.

Jonathan moaned, pumping his hand up and down his aching and hard cock. Magnus would take all that he gave. He would kiss so many hickeys onto his neck. Marking him. Letting everyone, even that pestering Lightwood, know who he belonged to. Magnus' legs would be crossed and wrapped around his waist. Magnus would be screaming loudly. Begging for more. He could imagine how amazing it would be to fuck him. Fuck him until he couldn't walk. Fill him up with some much of his cum that he spilled out with every step. Jonathan bit his lip so hard. The skin peeled off and it started to bleed.

He was going harder and harder, thinking about Magnus. How could Magnus would be with him. How amazing he would be beside him. He cried out into his other hand, cumming all over his hand. He chuckled as he spilled out. Harder than he ever had masturbating to porn or having sex with other girls or guys in the city. Only Magnus. Always Magnus. Completely and utterly beautiful Magnus. He looked at the thick goop that covered his fist and wrist. Soon, the stickiness would be inside of him.

🚨🚨🚨

He would be Magnus' knight in shining armor. And if he had to show Magnus that he was the right one for him, so be it. Magnus was his. Magnus belonged him. Nothing else mattered. No one else mattered. It was only Magnus. Forget his father. Forget Lightwood. Magnus was important. And he did not care what he had to do to get him beside him.

Waiting had gotten him nowhere.

Now it was time to take action.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song that crazy Jonathan was humming and thinking about was our third place winner from the poll. Canada by Lauv featuring Alessia Cara. It was a part of the polls and is one of my favorite romantic songs.


	46. Chapter 46

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus is ready to surprise Alexander in two ways that he will enjoy
> 
> Luke has some information from his meeting with Valentine. So he meets with Maryse. Things ensue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heya loves! Sorry about Sunday. I was finally able to visit some people that I haven't seen in months since the pandemic hit the fan. So sorry about that 😣
> 
> I hope that you enjoy this update though! Hugs and kisses! Happy Thursday! 🤗🤎

Maryse opened the door to the building in front of her. She had never been here before. And the door she was told be to open for her when she had texted Luke. She walked inside, feeling a lot more comfortable here now that she wasn't overdressed like last time. Her flat boots felt a whole lot better than her tall high heels. She rubbed at the boxes in her hands as she walked inside. "Hello?" she called, looking over towards the living room.

"Other way Maryse." Luke called from behind her. Maryse turned over, seeing him standing there. He still managed to make her jittery and giddy. Luke adjusted the sleeve of his sweater and walked over to her. "Welcome to my humble abode."

"It is a lovely, lovely place." she said. "Very well decorated. Very homey."

"Thank you. A friend of the family decorated it for me." he said. "What's that?"

"Oh. I didn't know if you would be hungry. But um... I picked up some pizza. A friend of mine runs a really nice Italian place. I didn't know if you would be hungry."

Luke smiled. "I actually hadn't eaten all day."

"Well then I'm glad I brought this."

"Yes. Thank you. Come, the kitchen is this way."

Maryse followed him, setting down the box on the dining room table. Luke pulled out a seat for her. She gave him a smile, sitting down. Luke moved out of the room, letting her fix them both up some plates. She wandered over to the fridge, picking out two bottles of lemonade and some sweet peppers that Luke had in the back. Luke returned, holding a thick folder in his arms. He set it down, sitting down across from her. "Remember, I tried my best." he said.

"Your best is what is important." Maryse said back to him, sipping her lemonade and opening Luke's.

Luke took a bite of pizza and pulled out some papers. "Okay then. I used some favors that I still managed to have with some old friends."

"Oh. So what happened?" she asked

"From my friends, I got in contact with Valentine himself. He and I met in person."

"In person?! Valentine?! Are you hurt?! Are you okay?!"

"What? No! No. It was civil. I am fine Maryse.. Just a meeting over drinks. I assure you that nothing bad happened."

"Oh." Maryse hummed. "Oh... okay. So... so what happened that was good?"

"We got to talking about this situation. And he told me the story on his side. That Alec refuses to return Magnus home." Luke said

"It's not like that." she said. "He was terribly injured! His ankle was broken terribly. We had to help him. He couldn't move. In the process... things happened."

"I get that. But he doesn't know and quite frankly, I don't think he really cares." Luke said. She nodded back at him, biting into her dinner. He sighed back at her. "He is actually open to reasoning."

"He is?"

"Yes."

"Well... what, what does he want?" she asked.

"His demands aren't just his. This is also from Asmodeus and Jonathan, who apparently let him know this before he told me of his demands." he explained. "They were willing to opening the doors to peace in the two cabals and with weaponry."

"With what in return?"

"Magnus' return."

Maryse huffed, biting onto her thumb nail. She knew that this wasn't what Alec would agree to. She knew her son well and saw what had happened. That they had fallen in love. Even if they hadn't said it yet. She had seen first hand the way that he had changed. Always in the shadows Alexander Lightwood was now enjoying life. Being a loving partner.

What would make him take that away?

Possibly nothing..

She inhaled. "I.. I don't know... I have no idea how... I don't know..."

Luke raised his eyebrow. "Why? Is there a problem with this?" he said.

"Luke... my son is just like me. He runs with his heart and not his head. For a while his heart was numb. But now his heart belongs to Magnus." she said.

Luke hummed, walking over to her. "You Lightwoods and your hearts." he said with a chuckle. He turned over to her with a grin.

Maryse turned over to him. "What about our hearts? Was that an insult?"

"No, of course not. It is just that you Lightwood's love once and fiercely. And according to what you told me, you never stopped loving me. So I infer that your son is the same." he said, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Ah. Very... true."

"And since I never stopped loving you, did you ever stop loving me?" he asked, forgetting everything that they said before.

Luke smiled. He moved over, towering over her. Maryse blushed. Slowly, she stood up. Perking up onto her tip toe. She kissed him first, quickly and pulling away. "No." she said.

Luke grinned, moving over and kissing her with all he had.

* * *

Magnus pulled Alec out of the car, a wide and rising smile against his lips. Alec couldn't help but smile at him. He was so happy to be here trying to surprise him. He doubted that Magnus could actually surprise him. As Alec knew things that were going to happen no matter what. It was kind of his job to expect the good, bad and ugly. But if it made Magnus smile this wide, he didn't mind to just letting him keep going. Magnus did look beautiful though. He was not at all going to deny that. Magnus had dressed up. A glittery black blazer that shone wonderfully. Silver jewelry that matched the glittery and his rings. No shirt was underneath, showing over that gorgeous body of his. Alec wasn't fond of other people staring at Magnus. He could see people doing it. But as he wrapped his arm around his waist, he knew that no one would advance. They knew who he was. What he could do. And they knew damn well that no one would go up against him. Alec instead just grinned thinking of how only Magnus dressed for himself and sometimes him.

They were just looking through the window at the mannequin.

Magnus smiled even wider, wrapping his arms around Alec's shoulders. He was so excited to see Alec's reaction. "Are you excited for your surprise?"

"I am not one to be surprised. But if you are happy, I am happy." Alec said to him. "Where are we?"

Magnus chuckled, leading him over. He waved over at the man in front. Dressed in blood red from head to toe with dark sunglasses on his face. "How are you doing Brandon?" he called.

He smiled, pulling the velvet rope back. "Well, thank you. How are you doing Magnus?"

"I'm fine." Magnus said as they walked inside.

Alec raised his eyebrow, looking back and seeing a bunch of people who were still waiting behind them. "You know him?" he asked as the door closed.

"Yeah." he said to him with a smile. "This is his night job. Day job is a teacher with me. He lets me in here all of the time."

"And where exactly is here?" Alec asked. His question was answered as they walked inside of the giant room. There was a vast amount of people around. Dancing with each other. Drinking. Partying. He turned over to him. "You took me to a club?"

"That I did." Magnus said with a smile, taking his hand in his and kissing his knuckles.

"I didn't really expect for us to be in front of a whole bunch of people." he said.

"Not to worry Alexander. Your eyes will only be on me." Magnus said back, leading him over to the bar. Magnus ordered two drinks. Alec huffed, shoving his hands into his pocket. "Stop being so pouty."

"I am not pouty. I'm just... observing."

"Oh yeah? And what are you observed so far sir?"

Alec hummed. Clearing his throat. "Uh... its a nicely decorated place though." he said.

"Who do you think decorated it?" Magnus asked him, taking two drinks and handing one to Magnus. "Martini?"

Alec took the glass. "You decorated this place?" he asked.

"That I did." He nodded, sipping it. He hummed.

Alec smiled. So that's why Magnus brought them here tonight. He sipped his drink and smiled. "Good drink." he said before downing it like a shot.

"It's not as good as mine, but... the drink will do." Magnus said to him, sipping down his own martini.

Alec turned his head to take another look around. He noticed the various eyes around him. The people that were looking at both him and Magnus. Their eyes weren't one of admiration. They were filled of lust. They wanted him. They wanted Magnus. Alec inhaled sharply, slowly moving closer as he wrapped his arm around Magnus' waist, pressing a kiss against the side of his neck. Magnus turned over, seeing the look in his eyes. A fierce glow like a fire.

Magnus hummed. "Feeling awfully possessive now are we?"

"It's not possessive. It's... informing the public." he said back.

"Oh really?"

"Yes. There's a difference. I can be possessive. And it will be a hell of a lot better than this."

Magnus chuckled. "Oh really? How about you show me how possessive you can truly be?"

"There is no reason to. Everyone already knows that you belong to me and I belong to you." he said.

"Do they now?"

"Yes they do."

"I don't think so."

Magnus set down his glass and strolled towards the dance floor. Alec raised his eyebrow, cocking out his hip and crossing his arms. "What are you doing?"

"You will see." Magnus said to him, moving over to the dance floor. Slowly but surely, he started to dance. Alec raised his eyebrows. His cheeks starting to flush hot.

The Spanish song playing in the background was very sexy. The on playing beat thumping loudly in their chests and ears. Magnus rolled his hips from side to side, moving his arms up. His fingers brushed against his chin first before he brought his wrists up. He crossed them above his head, making Alec's mouth go completely dry, and started to shake from side to side like belly dancer. Alec bit his lip. He was amazing. And he wasn't the only one that thought that. There was another girl, hanging out with her friends. Her eyes wandered over towards Magnus. She strode over, ready to touch him and dance alongside him.

Her unnecessarily long fingernails didn't even get to touch him. Alec moved in, pulling Magnus up against his back. He huffed, smiling. Alec told the woman very simply to fuck off with his eyes. Alec slowly ran his fingers up against the side of his hips. "You like to play games I see." he whispered into his ear from the loud music. "I can play games as guess."

Magnus smiled, turning over to him. Slowly, he pressed himself close to Alexander. The blue, pink and purple lights bounced off of him beautifully. Shining on all the glitter on his blazer and the shimmery makeup on his cheeks and eyes. Alec cupped his cheek in his hand, following his movements as he moved from side to side. Magnus raised his hands, curling them to side as the tempo of the song got a bit faster. Magnus twirled for Alec, smiling at him seductively as he raised one leg. Alec's eyes widened hungrily, he moved closer to him. Taking the ankle first and holding it from underneath of his thigh. Alec spun him around, dipping him down. Alec looked down and then back up at his boyfriend.

"Someone is getting a little excited." he said. "I can feel how hard you are."

"The same applies to you Alexander." Magnus said. "You seem really, really excited to be dancing with me."

"Well you are an incredible dancer. And you being beautiful is just an amazing bonus." Alec said, moving over and pressing a quick kiss against his lips. "Should I take care of that?"

"And where would you do something like that Alec?" Magnus asked.

He chuckled. "You obviously underestimate me kitten."

Alec took his hand and lead him off of the dance floor and back over to the bar. He earned the bartenders attention with a simple snap of his fingers. She walked over to them. Once she recognized who she was in front of, it was quick from there to in front of him. Alec whispered to her and she rushed off. Magnus stayed close to Alec as he ran his lips against the back of his neck and rubbed his hip in order to keep him hard and excited. Magnus shivered in delight.

A bouncer arrived shortly after Alec and he led the couple over into a small private room. Alec slammed the door shut, pouncing like a lion on a gazelle on Magnus. Magnus kissed him back as soon as his lips were on his. He grabbed onto Alec's neck, holding him gently. Alec picked Magnus up, slamming him up against a wall. Magnus moaned as Alec's hands wandered up and took his wrists. He slammed them up above him, leaving Magnus to hold onto him with his upper body strength. Alec moved his lips away and started to attack at the soft and stubble skin that was just left out for him. On his neck. Jaw. Hearing the pleasureable moans that he got out from Magnus was anything but complete and utter bliss. His own hard on pressed up against his boyfriend's.

Magnus bit his lip, trying to move his hands free. Alec pushed them hard, looking down at him. "You stay where I have you." he stated.

"And if I don't? What exactly will you do to me Alexander?" Magnus asked.

Alec sneered.

🌹🌹🌹

"I have plans for you." he said to him, pulling his chin up. Releasing one hand from his wrist and holding them with one large hand. He pulled away from Magnus, yanking off his leather jacket.

Magnus watched him in anticipation. He unbuttoned the top buttons on his collared shirt and yanked off the tie that he had been wearing. He took a hold of Magnus' wrists, turning him around and pinning him to wall with his face away from him. He gasped in shock, but moaned nonetheless. Alec wrapped the tie around his wrists tightly, cinching it with every wrap before knotting it tightly. He then yanked off both his and Magnus' pants off, pulling Magnus with him to the large couch that had been provided. He sat him down, palming his cock a couple of times to keep him waiting before walking to the door and locking it.

He walked back over to him, pushing him down against his back. Magnus huffed, looking right into Alec's eyes the entire time. Alec hummed. He was very obedient to him so far. Very submissive. He cradled him gently as he pulled his boxers off. His dick sprang out, completely hard. Alec smiled. He moved closer to it, his tongue rubbing right against the skin near it. Magnus cried out, his head leaning back. Alec moved over, inserting two fingers inside of Magnus' hole. He cried out. Alec shushed him, slowly rubbing his hip in comfort. Magnus smiled, nodding at him. He slowly continued to opening him, licking Magnus' length. Alec continued to slowly open him up. "Alexander." Magnus called to him. "Can you... can you..."

"Are you asking me to blow you kitten?" he asked.

"Yes... please."

"Well, since you ask you prettily." he said, opening his mouth wide and taking all of Magnus in his mouth.

"Alexander... Alexander... oh! Be careful darling!" he called, pushing his head back and moaning louder.

"I am fine." Alec said back. Going back and going up and down on Magnus' length. Magnus cried out in pleasure, moving over to try and move his arms. He didn't manage to get far. He pushed his wrists from behind his back, trying his best to move and rest it against Alec's shoulders. He couldn't reach it. As he did, Alec thrust three fingers inside of him, just as he reached all the way down towards Magnus' balls.

He cried out, not taking control over himself and cumming all inside of Alec's mouth. Alec moaned, feeling Magnus cum all inside of his mouth. He slowly pulled off of him, starting to rub him to get him back hard. Magnus looked up at him, panting and sweating. His eyes were wide with love and desire. "You taste so sweet." Alec whispered to him, licking the dripping white from the corner of his lips. He swallowed it all whole, making Magnus slowly starting to harder.

"Holy shit Alexander." he called.

"Next time remember." Alec said, looming closer towards his lips. "I am in control."

"Even when I orgasm?" Magnus asked him. Alec nodded, nipping at the bottom of his chin. Magnus moaned hearing Alec's moan. "If... if that's what you're into. I'm willing to try."

Alec looked up at him. "You're perfect kitten." he said, sitting up and pulling off his own boxers. He slowly jerked himself off as he went inside of leather jacket, laying on the ground and pulled out a condom.

"Do you just carry those around all of the time?" Magnus asked.

"I was hoping that I would get to fuck you once your surprise was over. But seeing you out there was much much better than what I anticipated." Alec said, putting on the condom. "So I brought the lube and condom just for you sweetness."

Magnus smiled. "Alexander..." he gasped.

"Do you want me to fuck you baby?" he asked. "I'll go slow. We'll take our time since-"

"Absolutely fucking not!"

"Huh?"

"Do not take your time! Fuck me hard! Fuck me good! Do you have any fucking idea how long I've been waiting to get my damn hands all over you?! Too long. You are going to fuck me Alexander. Fuck hard and fuck good!"

Alec stared at him. Almost shocked. He let out a chuckle. "I'm supposed to be the one in control here kitten. Not you."

"Too bad. You took too long." Magnus said, slowly pulling his knees in and spreading himself open.

Alec's eyes widened, seeing all that Magnus was showing off for him. He bit his lip . "So... that's it huh? Fuck you so hard that you can't walk?"

"I'd love that." Magnus said, pushing himself up and thrashing at the tie that kept his wrists restrained. "Yes Alexander. Fuck me good. Fuck me hard."

Alec chuckled. He moved over, pulling his wrists free. He forced them in front of him and retied them, just as tightly. He pulled them over his own neck and right behind his own back. Magnus pulled at them, smiling. "Don't let go of me." he whispered.

"Why would I?" Magnus whispered back, moving his lips towards Alec's ear. He kissed it and nipped at it quickly before whispering. "You take such care of me sir."

Alec gasped at the feeling. He was so close to cumming right then hearing Magnus call him fucking sir. God, he was perfect. Sitting right there in front of him. Moaning and groaning in absolute pleasure. Accepting everything he gave. Pressing kisses where he could. He knew that Magnus was the one for him. "Stand." he said, putting on the condom. He followed the order he was given, standing up as much as the tie would allow. "You're still wide open from earlier, right? Let me add lube so it doesn't hurt."

Magnus nodded. His legs shook and shivered as Alec used some lube for him. "Alec..." he moaned.

"Good... feel good?"

"Yes..."

"Excellent. Now, sit." he said, positioning his cock and patting his lap. Magnus moved his legs around but did as such, immediately slamming himself closer to Alec and slowly letting him insert his dick inside of him. Magnus moaned, feeling him inside. "So tight. You're so tight for me baby! Yes baby!"

"Alexander... you're so big! You're so big... God I..."

"You can take it. You can take anything that I give you. You're so amazing. That's right kitten, roll your hips for me. Bounce baby. Let me hear your pretty moans."

Magnus kept moaning for him. Holding on to him tightly and scratching at his back as much as he could with his wrists tied up. Alec pounded into him, just like he wanted. Magnus cried out, clawing at him harder. "Alec... Alec... Alec I'm going to, I'm going to... oh my-"

"Are you going to cum again?" he called.

"I'm close... I'm close." Magnus said to him, nodding. "Please. I'm I'm going to-"

Alec moved over, gripping his dick tightly. "No. No, no. You are going to cum on my command." he said. "You need my permission kitten."

Magnus nodded, biting his lip to try and hold it in. Alec ran his nose against his neck and kissed him again. Magnus moaned, pulling at the wrists that were still tied. "Alec..." he whispered.

"You called me something before." he said back. "What did you call me?"

"S-Sir... Sir." he gasped.

"Keep calling me that baby. Keep on going."

"Alexander, I...Sir, please-"

"You got this. Slowly. Slowly. You've got this."

Magnus continued to pick himself and ride Alec, trying to get even more movement. Alec continued to kiss him. The sexy music playing from outside of the club turning them on even more. Magnus moved his neck back. "Alexander... Sir... Alexander, sir, sir, sir!!!"

"Go on kitten." he whispered. "Kiss me as you cum. Go ahead."

Magnus slammed his lips on top of Alec's kissing him as he climaxed. Alec felt his hot cum spurt all over his chest and he released himself. Biting onto Magnus' lower lip as he felt his cock slowly start to release inside of Magnus. They pulled away, out of breath. Alec's eyes wandered up towards Magnus. He rubbed the side of his neck in comfort. Magnus hummed.

🌹🌹🌹

Alec loomed over, pressing a sweet kiss against Magnus' lips as he slowly pulled out of him. Magnus moaned. Alec moved his hands to his elbows, slowly raising them off of his body and from behind his own back. Slowly, he untied the tie that had been rope for a couple of seconds. He pressed a sweet kiss against the side of his wrists, looking up at Magnus. Magnus slowly leaned down and met Alec halfway, meeting in a sweet kiss.

This was everything and yet nothing he had imagined. No one person could be this enchanting. And yet, here he was. It took a kidnapping for him to be seen, but Magnus had finally discovered his prince. Magnus pulled away from his lips, looking over at Alec. Alec gave him a goofy grin, slowly pulling away to clean them up. Magnus cheeks turned red. Looking at him he knew now. He was in love. Alexander looked over at him. "Mags." he called. "Hey, what is it? What's wrong?"

Magnus smiled. "N-Nothing." he whispered. "You were wonderful darling. Absolutely amazing."

Alec grinned, nuzzling the hickey on his neck with his nose. "I'll remember to do all of that and more next time." he said. "And if you wanted me to fuck you, you could have just asked. You didn't need to take me here."

"Where's the fun in that?" Magnus said back, pressing a kiss against his lips.

 _Yeah_ , he thought. _I am totally in love with Alexander Lightwood._

* * *

Raphael huffed, walking down the street. He took a sip from his tea, just sighing. He was ready to get home and rest. As he made his way down the corner, he felt his phone vibrate. He turned over, pulling out his phone.

 _It's time,_ the text read. _He'll be out in another hour. Be ready._

Raphael inhaled. He dialed a number into his phone and he sprinted towards his car. "Clary." he called. "I need your help."


	47. Chapter 47

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raphael has only a bit of time left to infiltrate Valentine' offices and find out what his plan is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Hi! So, lots to say! Let's get it done!
> 
> 1- The amount of comments on last chapter made me sad, because I worked so damn hard on that chapter. 🥲
> 
> 2- Sorry for not updating I think for like two weeks. I'm still a student. And my teachers are fucking ruining everything and I have so many tests, assignments and zooms to do. I'm trying! And I apologize 😰😢
> 
> 3- Happy November... which means Christmas! 🎄🎁
> 
> 4- Why is SNL so shitty? Its so bad...
> 
> 5- I would very much like to have rights and not worry about my future along with my sisters so please... for the love of all that it holy FUCKING VOTE! And vote BLUE 💙💙💙
> 
> I think that's all I have to say...
> 
> Oh wait!
> 
> I love you guys! Enjoy! 😁💙

Clary sighed, twirling the ring she had on against her finger over and over. This was her second time really helping in this cabal situation and doing something important. It felt stranger than the other time that she had done something like this. This was way more important. She exhaled. _Well, now or never_ , she told herself as she slowly started moving out of her bedroom. She smoothed out her skirt to try and stop herself from spinning the ring.

Raphael had pretty much summed up what would be happening. All that she needed to do was distract her brother and get him away from their dad's office.

Simple.

Right.

She looked down the hall, seeing only a couple of her father's guards around. _Okay, okay. Not so bad_ , she thought. _Its not an army. Well... it is... sort of... and your brother... who is basically a robot soldier._

She stomped her foot on the ground. "Dammit Raphael!" she whispered as loud as she could. She sight, running a hand through her hair. "For Magnus... for Magnus... okay... okay."

Clary patted herself on the back, took another deep breath and made her way down to the first floor. She knew that in order to get her brother's attention, she would have to be in danger or sad. His protective instincts were like spidey senses and he'd drop anything to help the ones he really cares about.

She bit her lip, moving out of the way as he heard someone coming. She listened to the voices. Hearing her father and a few of his other guards. After hearing a door open and close, she moved back into the hall. Her heart slamming against her chest at the thought of a jumpscare like scenario happening. Clary exhaled and looked back over, trying to see where her brother would be. She moved a tad bit closer, seeing him standing there right in front of her father's office. Clary inhaled, moving away and pressing her back against the wall once more.

Raphael would only have a couple of moments inside of that office regardless of what simple distraction she could come up with. And that needed time that she did not have. She inhaled. _You got this._ Quickly, she looked around by her hall. Seeing that no one was around her. Clary slowly grinned. She knew what she could do. She hurried up the steps by the hallway. She quickly knelt down, moving away the long carpet aside and curling it up a bit. Clary back stood up, inhaling. _This is going to hurt._

She stepped down the first few steps before throwing herself down. She screamed as she tumbled down the steps. She fell down onto her back right in front of the last steps, biting her lip, cradling the back of her shoulder and crying out in pain. She had to hold back a smile and a laugh when she heard the rushing footsteps coming towards her. Jonathan shoved away a few of the guards near her, not caring at all. He quickly picked her up in her arms. "What happened? Are you alright? What happened?!" he called.

Clary bit her lip, feigning a sob and moving to rest her cheek into his broad chest. Jonathan hugged her, rubbing her back in comfort. "My... my ankle..." she cried.

Jonathan held her tighter. He turned over to the guards. "Go on and get my father's physician." he yelled. They all nodded, moving out of the foyer. Jonathan held his sister gently, carrying her up the steps and back up to her bedroom. Clary smiled into his shoulders.

She hoped that she had bought Raphael enough time.

* * *

Raphael slowly pulled himself inside of the building. He moved in through the back entrance, seeing a bunch of commotion coming by the front. There was a bunch of Morgenstern's men running out to something. Raphael chuckled. He didn't know what Clary had done to get them out of his hair, but he was grateful. Slowly, he moved down the hallway. He remembered the last time that he was here. And the last time that someone was around. The foyer and the main sitting room were the most populated and guarded. And he needed to steer clear.

He rushed away from the main foyer and made his way towards Valentine's office. He smiled, not seeing anyone else standing by there. He moved inside of his jacket and pulled on his gloves. He twisted the doorknob to see if it was open. It was strangely. Maybe Jonathan was going to go inside before Clary's distraction. He moved inside quicker than a mouse that had been caught. It was much smaller than Alec's. But that didn't make it any less impressive. His desk was shiny, as if it had been oiled up. It was made of maple wood, the top of it had a design that looked like a bunch of Rubik's cubes next to each other. The walls looked like it popped out of a page from _The Great Gatsby_ and the furniture something out of _The King and I_.

Rapahel ignored the beautiful design and made his way towards the desk, knowing his mission and his time limit. He knelt down, noticing the drawers and choosing them to be the start of his investigation. He started from the bottom. He found a bunch of files, organized fairly well. As he shifted through them and skimmed them, he noticed that they were all transactions from overseas. All for different drugs. But they weren't purely grown and kept normal. All of them had a special request on the bottom on Valentine's strangely neat handwriting. _Lace them with what you have. I need some to make it more addictive. Others to kill._

Raphael read that same exact note multiple times. Why would he do that? He set down the files and looked through the other drawers. It was filled with other files. All reading the same thing. They were orders for drugs and receipts of his purchase. He closed one of the drawers in anger. As he did, the wastebasket became visible to his peripheral. He pulled it closer to search. There was only one thing in it. A crumbled up piece of paper. He unfurled it, looking down at it. It was one of the receipts that he had seen before. But at the top, everything was different. It said that the transaction wasn't complete. That it had been stopped. And the bottom note read: _Lightwood caught the seller. Drugs were immediately gotten rid of. Seller is MIA._ Raphael stood up. The drugs must have been a part of his plan somehow. And Alec stopping a transaction must be a giant deal to him.

What game was Valentine playing at?

Raphael threw the paper back and moved over to the computer. He moved the mouse, turning the screen and system back on. For someone who was the head of a cabal, he was surprised that he had left all of his shit out in the open. He looked over at the desktop screen. He didn't see a lot. There was only the simple things. Google Chrome, Music, Printer Menu and the Recycle Bin. But he inhaled, moving over into his files, hitting the jackpot with documents and files glare. He combed through a bunch of other simple files that all looked the same in name. But he looked over at each. Searching for anything..

Raphael came to a stop. He raised his eyebrow, finding a zipped file. And it wasn't labeled with any name. It was just dot, dot, dot. He clicked onto the file and cursed. He expected a zip file that needed to extract and reopen. Not a password. "Damn you Morgenstern." he whispered.

Raphael moved back inside of the drawers. Pulling them opened and closed, looking for some kind of password for the closed file. He looked over, only finding the same files that he had found. As he moved to the other drawers. He noticed that they were locked too. He cursed. Raphael went back inside of his jacket, pulling out a small dagger that he had brought along just in case that he had run into a guard. He slammed the knife into the small keyhole. He twisted it as hard as he could, breaking the lock. _He'll find out I was here anyway, what's the harm?_ , he thought as he yanked the drawer opened. He expected to find more files. But there was two velvet boxes inside. One bigger and one smaller. He pulled out the first one, the bigger looking one, hoping to find something that would tell him the password to this file. But as he opened it, his eyes widened in even more shock. Resting in the box were invitations. Very nice looking invitations. It had a cream base with dark green vines around the borders. There were large leaves growing from the side and lavender flowers growing from bottom. But Raphael looked down. Seeing what was printed onto them.

_You are cordially invited to a celebration like no other._

_To witness the marriage of,_

_Jonathan Christopher Morgenstern_

_&_

_Magnus Bane_

Raphael gasped as silent as he would. A wedding? A wedding?! Why the hell would Valentine have or need wedding invites? Especially with Magnus' name on them!?! For what reason? He loomed back over towards the computer. He slowly moved his gloved fingers to the locked file and the password input. He typed in the word wedding. The file did not open up. Raphael huffed. He slammed the invitation back inside of the box and set it down onto the desk. He looked back down into the drawer. Slowly, Raphael picked up the other box and opened it up. It was pretty wide to be withholding something so small. He flicked it open and resting in it was a ring.

It was silver with three pearls in the middle. As he pulled out the ring, he looked at the inscription on the side. _My love, my life, my everything. To my darling Magnus._

Raphael's hands shook as he looked at this. Why? What was the point of this? He looked back over to the top of the desk. He searched around for any kind of source for a password. As he loomed over, he noticed another filing cabinet near the door. He got up from the desk's computer chair and rushed over to it. He opened up each one, seeing them empty. Why are they here then?! He went down to the bottom cabinet, pulling it open. There were two folders inside. Two very thin folders. He pulled out the yellow one first. There was printed notes written on it. He read the spread as fast as possible, knowing that his time would be running out very soon. The notes were for Valentine. It was plans. Future plans for some reason. Expanding drug dealers. Expanding contacts. International things. As if he was planning for what he would do if he had Lightwood's spot. Raphael cleared his throat, snapping quick pictures of the list to send it over to Lightwood when he left. As he pulled out the other folder, this one baby blue, and looked over at it. He shook. Reading the huge bullet points.

Rescue Magnus.

Eliminate Lightwood's mother and sister.

Eliminate Lightwood himself.

Eliminate Asmodeus.

Marry Jonathan and Magnus.

Take Lightwood's cabal.

Run New York.

Hand off reins to son.

He threw down the folder. All of this was to get Magnus and Jonathan together. To take over the cabal through him. Raphael understood. He wanted the power. And he would get more power from overtaking Lightwood's cabal. And with the weapons that Bane made, he would be probably unstoppable. And with that unstoppable power came a passing down, which he was for sure would continue while the Morgenstern cabal is alive and thriving.

He needed to stop this. If he could get a hold of Alec now, he could be able to stop this. Quickly, he rushed out of the office. He closed the door behind him and made his way down the hall as fast and as silently as he could. Raphael quickly dialed Alec's number, putting it against his ear. "Alec, I know what Valentine's plan is." he hissed in a whispering tone, hiding against the wall. Looking out and seeing a few of Valentine's guards starting to return to the foyer.

 _"What? Wait..."_ Alec called to him. _"Raphael-"_

"Look, I know that this is very sudden. But I managed to get into his office." he whispered back.

_"How?! Raphael, do you realize how-"_

"Look, you can yell at me all you want when I get to your institute. But right now this is serious." he said back. "You and Magnus are in grave danger."

Raphael rushed out of the hall, seeing that no one was around. Thinking that they all had left. He ran out of the hall, making his way towards the back entrance. As he walked over, an item was smashed into his head. He screamed out, falling down. His phone falling out of his hand and sliding across the room. Raphael gripped the back of his head as blood dripped from it. He looked up, seeing his attacker. Jonathan. Jonathan was sneering down at him. "I knew that you were a rat!" he sneered, raising the broken beer bottle in his hand.

He tried to slam it down onto his head again. Raphael quickly went into fight or flight mode. He fought. He gripped the wrist that Jonathan held the bottle in and pushed back as much as he could. He raised his knee and hit him in the stomach. Jonathan hunched over. Raphael shuffled away, kicking him in the nose and then in the chest. Jonathan fell back in a heap. Raphael turned over to his phone, hearing Alec's voice calling out to him. _"Raphael? Raphael?! Answer me! Raphael, what is going on?!"_

Raphael inhaled sharply, cursing in Spanish. He couldn't just tell him that everything was fine and rush off. Jonathan could come after him. Jonathan _would_ come after him. Backed by his father and their matlia. And he was pretty sure that if they did, he would lead them to Magnus. His idea was dumb. Simon level dumb. But he needed to do this. His life was nothing compared to Magnus'. He turned over to Jonathan, seeing him slowly get up. He groaned. But he looked up and hissed like a cobra. His eyes filled with red hot fire and rage. Raphael looked down at him. Seeing the gun at was resting in his thigh holster. Jonathan screamed out, moving over towards him to tackle him. Quickly as he could, he moved aside as Jonathan came near him. He moved onto his knees and pulled out the gun from it's holster. He slid across the room, landing where he entered as Jonathan fell down in a heap. He got up and looked over him. He almost look like he was foaming at the mouth. But he turned over, seeing the phone laying there. He smiled. "Wonder who you're speaking to?" he said.

Raphael quickly raised the gun, pointing it at the phone instead of his attacker. He took the shot, hitting it right in the center. The phone exploded into four pieces. Jonathan shot his hand back as one of the pieces cut him in his knuckles. He pulled his hand back and turned over to him. He hissed. Jonathan had enough of him. He walked over to him, punching him in the stomach. Raphael hunched over, allowing Jonathan to knee him in the chest. Raphael's body was limp as he was about to fall down into a heap.

No. Jonathan needed him to feel pain. He picked him up from the back of his shirt and slammed him against the wall. Punch after punch hit him. Raphael felt white hot pain from his face to his chest to his stomach. Jonathan only saw red as he attacked him. Punching him until blood spilled from all over his body.

"Jonathan! Jonathan! JONATHAN!"

He felt a hand press against his shoulder and shoved him away. Raphael slumped down to the floor, breathing heavily. Jonathan turned over to his father. Valentine sneered, kneeling down and checking Raphael's pulse. "You deserved it." he hissed at him. "He deserved it father. He's a rat! Dirty, rotten, traitorous bastard!"

"A rat?"

"I dealt with Lightwood face to face. I know his voice. He was on the phone with him." Jonathan snapped.

Valentine slowly turned over to Raphael. The two fingers resting against his neck curled into his hand on his throat. He pressed on it tightly. "You know where Lightwood is hiding?" he called. "After weeks on spying on his loved ones... his location just fell into my lap. All thanks to you."

Raphael's skin turned blue as he choked for air. He thrashed around, trying to get some air. "Y-You... you-" he managed to squeak.

Valentine let him go, before punching him in the nose. Raphael fell to the side. His entire body going cold and he himself falling unconscious. Jonathan looked up at his dad as he got up and looked over at him. He wiped the blood against his fingers. "Turns out that we will rescuing Magnus way sooner than expected."

Jonathan looked down at him and smiled. "Finally."


	48. Chapter 48

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raphael has gone AWOL.
> 
> Jace needs to get Clary out of the Morgenstern house.
> 
> Magnus is scared about the well being of one of his closest friends. Alec tries his best to make him feel better.

"Raphael? Raphael?!" Alec yelled out into his phone. "Answer me! Raphael, what is going on?!" he cried. He pulled his phone away from his ear, looking to see if it was a problem on his end. It wasn't. His heart sank deeper into his chest.

Jace looked up from where he was. He stood up, his files spilling all over the place. He walked over to his brother. "Alec?" he called. "Alec, what's happening?"

"Raphael?! Raphael?!" he yelled back into the phone.

He heard a loud bang and his eyes widened. He looked down at his phone, hearing it without having it be so close. Then his phone let out a loud tone before it hung up all on it's own. Alec looked up at Jace. Jace took the phone from him and tried to redial the number. It went immediately to voice mail. He looked up at him. "What could have happened?" he asked.

Alec let out an exhale. "Valentine found him out." he said.

* * *

Clary bit her lip hard, pacing back and forth around her room. She was worried. Raphael had told her that he would come to her room as soon as the job was done. It had been four hours now. And it was going on five. And he hadn't said anything to her. He didn't come over towards her room. Did something go wrong? Clary inhaled, moving over towards the door. She yanked it open and moved to step out. But there were two men there, blocking her way. The same two buff men that had been with her brother when they picked her up from work and dropped her off into the life that was the New York cabals. "Um... excuse me." she called. "I want to leave."

"Your brother wants for you to stay here." one of them said, his Welsh accent thick and heavy. "Especially after you fell so hard down the steps."

"I sprained my ankle. The doctor said so as well. I'm fine." she snapped back at him. "I want to... I want to see my brother."

"Your brother and your father are currently dealing with something very important." he said to her. "They advises us to keep you away from their offices and the basement."

 _That's it then,_ she thought. _They found him out. Something had gone wrong and now Raphael was discovered. What now?_

Clary started to breath heavily. She shut the door to her room, turning away and pressing her back to it. She needed to make sure that no one would hear her. If Raphael was found, she might be next. She didn't know her father well, but she knew he was violent. And that he would do what it takes to get information from Raphael. She rushed over to her bed, searching through the mess that was her comforters until she found her phone. She inhaled, running her fingers through her hair. She quietly walked over towards the bathroom, locking the door as soon as it was shut.

She needed to call someone.

She needed to try and get someone to help her.

She bit her lip, her screen shining a bit blue light as she saw the one contact that she wanted, no. Needed to speak with. She inhaled, dialing the number. Ignoring her much her hand was shaking. Clary pressed the phone to her ear and rubbed her lips together, moving the thick gloss as a way to distract herself.

_"Clary, honey."_

"Jace." she called, breathing out a sigh of relief. "Oh thank goodness you answered."

_"Are you alright? Is everything okay?"_

"I'm fine... I'm fine. But... something's... something's happened here. It's Raphael."

_"How do you know about him? You were apart of the plan? Did you see what happened?"_

"What? No. I mean... I mean yes. I helped him get my brother away from the door but thats all. He was supposed to leave after getting inside my father's office a-and come back to me. But it's been too long. Something has to have happened to him." she said. "And not only that, but there are guards stationed at my door. And they told me that Jonathan and my dad are dealing with something very important. What else could it be?"

Jace inhaled through the phone. She could almost sense his own worry and fear. _"Shit. He's been compromised then."_ he said. _"Raphael called Alec to try and tell him the plan that your father has. But someone must have found him. The call was intercepted."_

"They're going to kill him then! They're going to kill him Jace! I can't just let him die! He's going to die!"

 _"Clary, Clary, breathe. Listen to my voice. Relax for a second, please. Listen to me. They won't kill him. I know that this is terrible and not the greatest situation. But they're not going to kill Raphael."_ he said to her. His voice was calming. Slowly, her heartbeat started to slow and calm down. _"Raphael knows a lot. A little too much. He has information on where Magnus is, Alec is, who is planning what and who is helping who. They can't kill him. If they do whatever Morgenstern's plan is will go awry. And he'd have to start all over."_

"What are they doing to do to him?! Is he-"

 _"I don't know Raphael that much. But I know that he is strong. If your father intends to get information out of him, he will do it by any means needed. Raphael might be able to hold off, but not for long. Anybody will crack when in brutal amounts of pain. That means that you might have a week. Two at most."_ he said.

Clary nodded. She exhaled. "Okay... okay.. Jace what do I do?"

_"You're in danger right now. I need to get you out of there."_

"No! I need to get Raphael out of here first. Or at least figure out what he had started. He did all of this for Magnus and Alec. I need to find some way to end this."

_"No. Honey, listen to me. I need to get you out of here. And I need to keep you safe. Valentine is evil, even with his own cabal and children."_

"I can keep myself safe. I know how to defend myself. I know that Raphael got caught but I can get Jonathan to maybe open up to me."

_"No. I am not endangering your life. I need you to stay safe. Okay?"_

"No. I need to help you in some type of way. I will not be a sitting duck. Please Jace. Please."

Jace inhaled through the phone again. _"I have been able to only see you a couple of times. I will not lose you when I barely even get you hold you."_ he said.

"This is what I need to do." she said to him. "I was brought here for a reason. And I need to help you and Alec in some kind of way. Any way. Please Jace."

There was a long silence coming from him. Clary inhaled, hoping that it wasn't him being upset at her and maybe him ending all of this and shutting her down. But she heard Jace take a deep inhale before sighing. _"What do you think that you can do?"_ he asked her.

"Jonathan loves me more than anything. I know that he will probably be willing to try and help me in anyway. That's how I was able to try and distract him. I fell down the steps and pretended to hurt myself badly. He was hysterical." she explained. "I am pretty sure that if I try to speak with him, he might let me in on his plan. He might trust me. I just need a wire or a contact or something."

_"Clary don't you think that that is a little dangerous?"_

"Jonathan would never hurt me. And if I bring up Magnus... he might put his entire guard down."

_"I don't like this. I don't like this at all."_

"I know that you might not like this, but this is our only chance. This is all that we have right now." she explained. "And if you think that I have only a week, then I need to act quick. It might be enough time to get my brother on my side and to trust me."

Jace sighed once more. _"If you are going to do this, than I am going to do this with you."_ he said to her.

"What? J-"

_"Absolutely not. You aren't doing this alone. I am helping you and I am going to get over to you. I am helping you with this. Because if anything should happen to you-"_

"Nothing will happen to me."

_"Right. Nothing will. Because if he tries something, I am going to shot him in his larynx. I will be there. Okay? If anything should go wrong, I am going to help you with this."_

Clary nodded. "Okay... okay..." she said.

 _"Everything is going to fine Fray. Trust me."_ he said to her. _"Everything is going to be alright."_

Clary nodded as she hung up the call. She moved out of the bathroom, making herself look composed. She sat down against her loveseat, rubbing the fabric of her skirt. She hoped that Raphael wasn't hurt.

God, she hoped that he was still alive.

* * *

Magnus knew something was wrong when he had woken up that morning. Alec wasn't spooning him like he usually did since they started sleeping together. His side of the bed was cold, which meant that he had gotten up at some point or never came to bed in the first place. He sat up, looking over to see if Alec was maybe changing his clothes. But there was no one else in the room. It was empty. Magnus slowly pulled himself off of the bed, pulling on the robe that Alec had gifted to him. Slowly, he walked towards the door. Maybe he was cooking for him? But as the door opened, he heard Alec. His voice was booming all over. Loudly. It was filled with anger and frustration. Magnus inhaled. He carried such power with his voice. Magnus didn't know whether or not to run back inside his back of the bedroom or stay or get a hard on. Slowly, he moved down the hall, following the sound of his boyfriend's voice.

He moved over, towards Alec's new office. The door was opened slightly. Which was probably why his voice was booming all across the hall. He moved over towards the slight crack and looked in. He didn't see much. All he could see was Alec. He was sitting down at his desk,

His face was red with rage and his beautiful hazel eyes looked like they had a blazing fire in them. Magnus' fngers lingered against the door, looking over at him. Why was he so upset. What was the matter? "It has been twelve hours! How can you not find anything pertaining to this!?!" Alec screamed, slamming his palms against the desk.

Magnus jumped back in shock.

There must have been more people inside of the office as a few voices started murmuring to reply. Magnus heard the voice of the blonde that he had known well, Underhill. "If Valentine truly knows of the double life, he must expect that you are going to do something in retaliation. He had to have taken all of his men off of the streets." Underhill said. "They're still-"

"There is many other businesses that he has other than drugs!" Alec yelled back. "The pawn shops?! The bars?! Have you checked there?!"

"All closed." the voice that belonged to Jace said again

"We managed to get in through the back of one." a woman piped up. "No one was hiding out there either. And there was nothing there."

Alec growled, shoving himself down into the chair. "What about his base of operations? Does anyone know where that is?" 

There was no response. Only silence from the group. Underhil spoke again. "No."

There was another slam. Alec slammed his fists on the wood. "You need to look harder!"

"Hey, we're doing the best that we can chief." called another man in the group, his Brooklyn accent a bit familiar from when he was here the first time.

"Watch it." Jace snapped back

"Call me chief again and I'll snap your neck." Alec yelled back at him.

"Sorry."

"Raphael's life is on the line when he has done to much to keep us in the good graces of the plans of Valentine and Asmodeus! Do you have any idea what will happen if we lose him?! He's an ally! I don't leave people behind!"

Magnus started to shake suddenly. Hearing those words. Raphael was missing? He was compromised? His hand pushed the door opened in his haste as he begun to panic. Everyone in the room turned over to him. Alec's eyes widened, seeing who it was. He moved away from his desk and pulled Magnus up to his feet. He wrapped his arms around him and rubbed his shoulder in comfort. "He's... He's..." he stuttered.

"Magnus!"

"Alexander what happened to him?! What happened to Raphael?"

"Magnus." Jace called to him, confused that he was here. Not only that but he gave him sympathy.

Alec looked down at him. Almost upset at himself for letting this happen. Underhill moved over towards him. "Sir." he called. "Let me take him back to his room."

"No." Alec stated, exhaling. "Everyone fan out. Leave no stone unturned. Try and find him or any of Morgenstern's men."

Alec hugged him tightly, moving him away from the doorway as everyone rushed out. Sheilding his face from them. Underhill and Jace stayed behind, looking over at him. Alec rubbed Magnus' shoulders gently, trying to calm him down and get him to breathe. Magnus pushed away from him, but he kept a firm grip. His hands stayed around his back and the soothing circles around his back only got slowly and calmer. "What happened to him?" he said.

"Magnus." Jace called to him.

"No... no, no, no!" he said back. "No sad, sympathetic bullshit! Be honest with me!"

"Jace, please." Alec said to him, looking down at his boyfriend and rubbing his cheek in comfort. "Magnus look at me. Baby, look at me. Breathe."

"What happened to Raphael?!" he yelled. "Alec, tell me!"

Alec inhaled, looking over at Underhill and Jace. He sighed. "He was trying his best to try and figure out Valentine's plan. Through him and through your father. He found out the plan. But he was compromised almost immediately."

Magnus' eyes widened. "W-What happened to him?"

Jace inhaled, crossing his arms across his chest. Underhill sighed, resting his own hand on his other shoulder. "We don't know." he said to him.

"I've been sending people all over to try and find him." Alec said. "Valentine wouldn't kill him if he knows that he has been trying to help you."

"He's valuable now." Jace said. "What he knows is basically gold."

"So... my guess? He's being held prisoner somewhere." Alec finished.

Magnus looked down. "I... Oh God. This is... It's all my fault."

"No!" Alec snapped back at him, holding both of his cheeks and looking into his eyes. "This is not your fault. Valentine is a sick bastard. This is not because of you. At all."

"But he was doing this because he was so worried about me! He wanted all of this to end for me!" Magnus said. "And now he might be dead because of me! And Clary-"

"Clary will be fine." Alec said to her.

"As long as she doesn't say anything. And her brother adores her." Underhill added. "He won't hurt her. And they won't assume that she is apart of this."

Alec pulled Magnus close to his chest. "Everything is going to be okay. We're going to find him."

"This is all my fault." Magnus said, shoving him away.

"Magnus don't say that." Alec called out to him. He tried to hug him again, but he was shoved away. Magnus ran his hand through his hair, biting his lip. He inhaled, rushing out of the office. Biting his hand to hide his sob. "MAGNUS!"

"I'll get him." Underhill called, patting his shoulder and running out to catch him.

Alec hissed, slamming his hand down against the desk. He inhaled, running out of the office as well. Needing to catch up with him.

* * *

Magnus rushed as fast as he could. His ankle was crying out in pain. Catarina said not to put too much pressure on it. But he needed to get away from all of this. He hurried out of the hall, moving through one of the open doors and hiding behind the wall. He heard the fast footsteps coming towards him. He inhaled, looking as best as he could without giving himself away. He heard Underhill rush through. He cursed loudly, not seeing Magnus. Quickly, he walked over into one of the closets that were barely filled with weapons. He hopped inside as quietly as he could as Underhill walked in. He kept the door shut, leaving a slight crack open. He looked in, seeing Alec run inside the room. "Where is he?" he yelled.

"I don't know." he called.

"How could you have lost him!?" Alec cried out.

"I apologize sir."

"Get some more of my guards on foot. Find him, he's not stable right now! Go! Now!"

Underhill rushed out. Alec inhaled sharply, cursing at himself before he rushed over to follow him. Magnus slowly pulled himself out of the closet, looking out and making sure that everything was okay. He inhaled, looking around at where exactly he was. There was a large mat against the ground and different weapons laid out on the ground. Magnus closed the closet doors behind him. He knew how far he would be able to get to in order to find the gardens of the Institute. And it wouldn't strain his anke any more than it already was strained.

He loved coming here. Vases lined the entrance filled with beautiful blue flowers, leading to two plots with one small apple seedling and the other a cherry. Hanging around all over was plots of different flowers, vegetables, fruits and plants. As it slowly started to get warmer, the flowers started to grow even more. Making this place seem like it hopped out of a Disney movie. Magnus sat down on the cobblestone that held up the potted flowers. He smiled, thinking that when they had first come here it was just an empty lot. He remembered how Alec and Izzy and him spent time planting the flowers and organizing everything. Magnus smiled, running his fingers against the the petals of one of the tulips.

Even this places beauty couldn't take his mind off the impending conflict. He hated to think that Raphael might be dead because of him. That he might lying in a ditch somewhere. Or maybe he was cut up into multiple limbs and buried like a seed. He could care less about himself and or what happened if Valentine found him. But what would happen to Raphael if they wanted information from him? Would they torture him? Probably. And how so? Raphael didn't deserve to be tortured or treated so terribly. He had done so much to redeem himself in his eyes and he was trying to stop this impending gang war.Magnus wiped the tears filling in his eyes. He was worried what might going to happen to him. And what about Clary if Raphael cracked? He bit his lip harder. He didn't want to just here and do nothing if his friend was in danger. He didn't look up as Alec rushed past the door. But he turned over, stopping. He inhaled, seeing the desperate look in his eyes. He walked over to him and sat down beside him. Magnus didn't seem to notice. Either that or he chose not to respond. He exhaled. "Magnus I am so sorry. About everything." he said.

"Alexander-"

"No Mags. If anything, this is all my fault. I shouldn't have encouraged him to continue the mission. I should have stopped it and done it myself." he said to him.

Magnus sighed, looking over at him. "It's alright Alexander. I just hope that he's not dead... if they hurt him-"

"They won't. And I swear that he is still alive. We're going to get him back." Alec said. "I promise you this." Magnus nodded. Alec took his hand in his, pressing a kiss against it. "Everything is going to be fine. I swear it. I'm sorry Magnus. But we're going to find him and everything is going to be okay. I promise you."

Magnus inhaled and nodded. "I want to help then."

"Baby-"

"Raphael is my friend! One of my closest. He's not even a friend, he's like family. He's like a brother or a son to me Alexander. And I won't abandon him. I am helping!" Magnus snapped, standing up and looking down at Alec. "I am helping you, whether you approve or not."

Alec's eyes widened, looking up at him. Seeing him so strong. So serious. The determination in his eyes were stronger than anything he had ever seen when reading a man. He stood, smiling. "I don't approve since I want you safe." he said. "But anything for you. Anything for him."

Magnus smiled, hugging him. "Thank you Alexander..."


	49. Chapter 49

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something big is approaching! 
> 
> Alec decides that he's in love.
> 
> Jace is coming for Clary, to protect her and to finally see her.
> 
> Maryse and Luke share a moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey lovlies! I hope that you had a nice holiday! And if you didn't, I hope that this raises your spirits! Hugs and many many kisses from me to you! 🤗😚
> 
> I hope that you all are staying safe during this hard, confusing and agitating time. Just remember all:
> 
> Wear a mask. 😷 Stay inside as much as possible. 🏠 Punch a Karen in the throat. 😈
> 
> Enjoy this chapter! Hopefully, I'll see you in the next one! 😊🤍

"Hey Alec." Izzy called to her brother as he set out the place settings for dinner.

Alec looked up at her and gave her a grin. "Hey baby sis. Everything okay?"

"Everything is fine. Just fine. How about you?" she asked, sounding as innocent as she could.

Alec chuckled. "I'm as good as I can be. Now what do you want?"

Izzy sighed, her smile lowering. "How's Magnus doing?"

Alec sighed. "He's not taking it very well. But... he's better today than he was before. I took him out for lunch. We had a stroll in the park. It's been pretty good for the rest of the day."

Izzy smiled, pushing him to the side with her hip. Alec chuckled at her. "Look at you. So romantic."

"Stop."

"Don't deny it!"

Well he deserves it. He deserves everything." he said with a smile. "Hey... Iz?"

"Yes big brother?" she called.

"You've been in love before... right?" he asked her, inspecting the wine glass that was in his hand.

Izzy raised her eyebrow for a second, not fully computing the question. But when she did, she blushed. "I... I have been." she said. Of course she had been in love before. But she was over those people. Being in love was different right now. Because she had Simon. And Simon was the most adorable little muffin that she had ever met. She had never dated someone like him. Someone so sweet and caring "Why?"

"What does it feel like?" Alec asked, sitting down in the chair.

"You want to know what love feels like?" she asked him, moving across the table and sitting down beside him. "Uh... well, okay then. I want you to close your eyes for me."

Alec raised his eyebrow. "Close my eyes?" he repeated.

"You asked me to tell you! This is me telling you. Now do it." she said. Alec sighed, closing his eyes with a smile. Izzy nodded, clapping her hands in excited anticipation. "Okay. Now, I want you to describe to me your boyfriend."

Alec nodded, inhaling through his nose. "Okay. Magnus is... just the most wonderful person that I know. Everything about him is just wonderful. He is so kind and patient with me and everyone around him. The way that he presents himself is just amazing. At first, he was scared of everything. Including me. But as the two of us got closer and started to know each other more, he was just so confident, understanding, brave and amazing. You should see how beautiful he looks in purple. Just gorgeous. And his beauty is not even the full circle of what I love! His kindness is what is the best part of him. He would be an amazing father. And he works with kids for a living! Well, before I ruined it. But that showed how devoted he was to helping others. And here he is, taking care of my cabal just because he wants to. Its amazing. He's amazing. He just is... breathtaking."

Izzy smiled. "You can open your eyes now." she said, taking his hands in hers as he complied. "Now. Can you tell me... and just me after all that you just said, that you love Magnus?"

Alec looked down. He smiled. Thinking about those three little words. He had never said them before. To anyone except his family. He had heard people he would fuck before scream those words to him. But he never said them back. For Magnus, he could say those words so many times. He could see what would happen afterwards. Carrying him by the waist and spinning him all over in a circle. He could imagine himself crying happy tears just at the prospect of hearing Magnus say those words back. He prayed that Magnus would say those words back. But even if he didn't feel the same, he knew that he loved Magnus through and through. He knew that he loved Magnus more than anything else in the world.

"I do." he said to Isabelle. "I love Magnus. So much."

Izzy smiled widely, clapping her hands together again. Alec smiled with her, taking her hands in his. The two stood up, spinning around in a circle. Alec couldn't believe that he had said it out loud. He smiled widely. Looking down at his sister. She hugged him. "Oh Alec, I'm so happy for you!" she said. "It took you long enough to figure it out and find your love."

Alec smiled wide. "I'm so happy! And that's a lot coming from me!"

"I know!"

"Oh my God. I have to tell him. I need to tell him how I feel about him." he said. "He needs to know. He deserves to know that I love him. But how do I do it? What do I do Iz? It needs to be special. He deserves for it to be special. But I don't know how special we can make it... there's a lot going on right now. I don't know if taking him to a restaurant or to his bookstore would be the best option."

Izzy hummed, rubbing her knuckles in thought. She turned over to her brother. He was continuing to set the table, bringing out a couple of bottles of wine. Her eyes widened. She ran up to him and slapped a glass out of his hand. Alec jumped. "Quit it!"

"Dude!"

"I have an idea!"

"What the hell-"

"The wedding! Remember?" she yelled at him.

"What wedding?" he asked.

Izzy huffed, running out of the dining room. Alec rolled his eyes at her, quickly picking up the glass. Happy for once they were using the metal ones instead of his mother's favorite and expensive glass. He set it back down on the table, just as Izzy ran back inside the rokm. She shoved a small piece of paper his way. He rolled his eyes, taking it. He looked down at the lavender purple invitation with silver lilies at the top and small rhinestones.

 _To the Lightwood family, you are cordially invited_ _to the wedding of_

_Aline Penhallow & Helen Blackthorn_

"Oh shit." he called. "I totally forgot that they were getting married."

"Isn't this the perfect opportunity?" she said. "Telling someone how you feel during a celebration of love? Maybe you two can dance for a little bit, then you can take him out of the venue. Maybe to the gardens or the patios, and tell him that you love him. That would be so romantic!"

Alec hummed, setting the invitation down. "That does seem promising."

"What seems promising?"

Alec turned over quickly. Magnus slowly walked inside of the dining room, that same adorable smile against his lips. Alec smiled along with him, walking over to him and taking his hand in his. "N-Nothing kitten." he said, pressing a kiss against his cheek. "Just dinner. Um... I asked Underhill to pick up something special for dessert. Sounded interesting to me."

"Oh. That sounds exciting. I do hope that it's tiramisu." Magnus said. "Hello there Isabelle."

"Hi." she said, smiling at him. "How are you doing?"

She pulled Magnus by the arm towards the table. Alec couldn't help but smile. He was always so comfortable around his family. His mother and sister adored him. Jace was lukewarm when it came to him, but he still managed to create some kind of friendship. Basically everyone in his immediate family, and his cabal as well, knew him and adored him. Now he truly knew that Magnus' being here would be perfect. That he belonged here with him. As his boyfriend sat down, he pulled out his phone. Texting Underhill to make do and pick up three different tiramisues.

* * *

Clary bit her lip, looking down at the plate in front of her. She had to have dinner alone tonight. Her brother and father were nowhere to be found that night and that made her worry about what was happening. She hasn't heard any screaming yet. Or seen any signs of a struggle. If there was any sort of crime scene, it had been cleaned up. No sign of Raphael here. Or where they could have taken him.

Clary pushed away the plate, no longer hungry. She was a bit too worried to even think of eating right now. She wrapped her sweater closer and walked out of the dining room. She looked around, seeing none of her father's guards around. Slowly, she moved up the steps towards her bedroom. The silence was eerie in this place and it scared her even more than she already was. She moved to open the door to her bedroom. She didn't manage to even open the door as a quick hand moved and she was grabbed from behind. The hand slapped over her mouth. She screamed in shock as the door to her bedroom was kicked open but her captor and she was shoved inside. Being let go as they turned to shut the door.

Clary scoffed turning over and planging a firm kick upward. Her foot hit her attacker right in the balls. The man huffed, leaning forwards. She screamed, making his eyes widen. He cried out. "Hold on, hold on, hold on. Clary it's me."

Clary froze. The man stood up, still rubbing his crotch. Clary's eyes widened, seeing those blue and a half eyes. "Jace." she cried. "Jace. Oh my God!"

"Hello hun."

"What are you doing here?"

"Helping you." he said. "At least, that was the plan until you kicked me."

"Oh, I'm so sorry." she said, moving over towards him. She looked up and started to run her finger on his head. A slight yellow tinge was on his forehead and his hair was a totally different collar. "Did you dye your hair green?"

"No. This is my real hair color. I'm an alien from Venus" he joked. Clary gave him a blank stare, in no mood for jokes right now. "Yes, it's dye. But it's cheap and I'm a lucky that I'm a blonde. Had to disguise myself some how."

Clary chuckled. "I like it. It's nice." she said, moving over and hugging her. "Oh, I'm just so glad that you're here."

Jace smiled, feeling her in his arms. He hugged her back, squeezing tight. "I missed you." he said. He pulled away and knelt down slightly to her level, cupping her cheek. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"No. No, I'm not hurt." she said back.

The two jumped, hearing a loud knock at the door. Jace instantly put his arm around her. "Clary?! Are you okay?"

Clary bit her lip. Now Jonathan wanted to check on her. How did he get here so fast? Where was he? "I'm fine." she called back to him. "I was just... I um... saw a mouse."

"A mouse?" he called back through the door. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure." she said back, moving and touching Jace's wrist in comfort. Jace exhaled, putting down his guard slightly.

"Okay." Jonathan called. "Good night Clary."

"Good night." she said to him, listening to his footsteps as he left the hallway. She turned back over to Jace. "It's okay now. He's gone."

Jace exhaled, nodding. "Sorry. I just wanted to make sure that you were safe."

"I understand." she said, looking up at him. She moved her hand over to rest against the side of his neck. Jace inhaled, sharply. Feeling her touch. Clary pulled away. "I'm sorry. Was my hand cold? I-"

"No. No... don't be sorry. It's fine..." he said, taking her hands and putting them back where they were they were. He placed one hand on her cheek and the other against her waist. "I thought that I would have to kill someone to see you again."

"That sounds a bit harsh. But considering that all of this feels like an episode of Black Mirror, I don't mind anymore." she said.

Jace hugged her once again. He rested her chin on the top of her head, smiling. "I wish that I could have the opportunity to date you the normal way."

"I don't mind this. I like it. It's actually kind of romantic. We have our own little love story." she said.

Jace smiled. "Can I kiss you?" he asked.

"I'd be kind of mad if you didn't." she said back.

Jace grinned. Slowly, he held the side of her neck and pressed his lips to hers. Clary kissed him back, relishing in the feeling of his lips finally on hers. Jace couldn't help but have his chest fill up with warmth. He knew in that moment that he was never ever going to let Clary go. When this was all over, he was going to do this right.

* * *

Luke lightly knocked on the door, wanting to be a gentleman and give Maryse her privacy. She just chuckled back at him. "It is your bedroom. I don't understand why you are knocking." she called.

"I thought that you would want the privacy. And I didn't know whether or not you were naked." he said with a chuckle.

"We just had sex multiple times and you are wondering whether or not I am naked?" Maryse called, walking over and opening the door.

Luke chuckled, seeing her covering her top body with his duvet. She leaned up onto her tip toes, puckering her perfectly rosy lips. He kissed her, meeting her half way. "Here." he said, holding out a plate. "I'm not the best cook, but I do make a good grilled sandwich."

Maryse chuckled, taking the plate gratefully. The two walked back inside of the bedroom. Maryse bit into the sandwich, smiling that it was indeed good. Luke pulled her close to him, switching on the television. She smiled, looking up at Luke. She didn't pay mind the movie that it was on. It was just white noise to her. She was too busy looking at Luke. Admiring the two quote tattoos that he had against his pectorals.

Luke looked down at her. "Staring at me are we?"

"I don't call it staring. I call it... admiring. Like at a museum." Maryse said to him. Luke chuckled, pressing a kiss against her temple. She hummed, filled with delight. "I haven't been held like this in a while."

"Robert knew what he was missing out on." he said, pointing his middle finger to the ground.

"Why are you doing that?"

"Because there is no way that a bastard that neglected a beautiful queen like yourself is up in heaven."

Maryse chuckled. She set the plate down on the dresser beside her. She moved up, sitting down on Luke's lap, not caring that her breasts were out. Luke smiled, pulling her close to his chest and looking up at her. She started to run her finger right near the claw marks on his shoulders. "Luke." she called. "I... I... when this is all done with, I want you to come back."

"Maryse. I am done with that life. I am not going-"

"No... no. I don't want you to come back to the cabal life. I understand and respect you leaving. I mean, that when this is done I want you to come back to me."

Luke looked over at her. "Maryse... I thought that I was already with you."

"Well you aren't officially my boyfriend." she said. "That was me asking."

Luke chuckled. "You are very awkward. I can see where Alec gets it from." he said. Maryse huffed, her nose turning bright red. Luke chuckled. It was adorable. "I'm just kidding love." he said, pressing a kiss against it.

Maryse blushed harder, moving down and resting her head down against his chest. Luke ran his fingers along her back. "Luke... I love you." she whispered.

Luke looked over at her. He slowly sat up, gripping her wrists and pulled him over his neck. "Say that again. Louder." he said.

Maryse smiled. "I... I love you. I'm sorry if-"

Luke pressed a finger to her lips, shushing her. He then pressed a gentle hand against her cheek. "Don't be sorry. I love you too." he said. "I never stopped loving you."

Maryse smiled. The two of them moved in and met in a sweet and sensual kiss.


	50. Chapter 50

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec is told about the plan to avoid war.
> 
> Maia lives up to her promise and tells the one person who she needs to. Simon worries for Raphael's life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone. It's been a bit, hasn't it? Sorry to have been gone for so long. If you want to know what I was doing, I was doing online school, a Christmas fic, college applications and the holidays with my family. Nevertheless, though, I am here for this story and I am ready to continue A Sinner's Second Chance. If I am being honest with you, this story was with me for a dark time (the start of the pandemic and the quarantine in March) and it has got me back into doing what I love the most. Writing and telling stories. So I am back and I here to tell you that the story is almost finished!!
> 
> 😆🥳😄👏🏽👏🏽🙌🏾🎉🎊
> 
> I just have to do I few things before I really tell you what's up. Firstly, I have to edit all the chapters and see where I have to add more or where I have to delete them. Second, I have to finish all of my school work since school comes first and foremost. So when that is done, I will be posting almost all the time.
> 
> I am so excited to share this news and to be here with you all once more. Are you ready to read? I hope you are! Enjoy! 😊💚

Magnus and Alec chuckled as they stumbled their way back over to the cabal leader's bedroom. They were both completely buzzed on the champagne that they had drunk during dinner. And instead of making them loud, awkward and hard to even be around, it made them even more romantic towards one another. Magnus was leaning against Alec, holding onto his arm with a protective and loving grip, smiling, hiccuping and chuckling. Alec kept his hand snaked around his boyfriend's waist as he led both of them inside. As soon as the doors shut, Magnus wrapped his arms around Alec's neck. He smiled, looking down at his adorable boyfriend. He then down, picking him up from underneath of his thighs. Magnus locked his ankles together and held on. "Thanks for today." he whispered.

Alec smiled. Hearing the praises from him made butterflies sprout in his belly and his throat He pressed a kiss against the bottom of his jaw. "Anything for you kitten," he said, even though his voice cracked with the first syllable out of his mouth. He leaned in for a kiss, but noticed the look in his eyes. He hummed, walking him towards the bed. "What's going on in that pretty head of yours?"

"The flatter is my job. Don't steal my thunder." Magnus said, flicking at his head jokingly. Alec continued on, dropping Magnus on the bed and falling down face-first into the carpet.

"I've been hit! Ah!"

"Stop being so dramatic!"

"You're on to talk." Alec said to him, flipping to his side and looking over at him. "Now spill."

Magnus puffed out his cheeks. "Sorry to ruin the mood. But I'm just still worried about Raphael."

Alec nodded, getting up. "I know. I'm sorry. But I'm going to help you as best as possible to find him."

"I know you will. Considering what I have seen you do, I know that you will aid in helping me find him." he said, pressing a kiss against his nose as he got closer to try and pull off his shirt. "I have no doubt about it darling."

Alec smiled. He pulled off his shirt, leaving him in his undershirt. He slowly crawled to Magnus, placing his hands by his side before taking his hand. "Magnus?"

"Yes?"

"I want to ask you something."

"Well ask away then." he said.

Alec chuckled. "Look, so... to... to put it bluntly... well-"

"Alexander?"

"Yes?"

"Please just spill."

"Okay. In this life, there are a lot of funerals and weddings to go to. We usually have to go all in order to stay in good graces with dealers and other families in some other states and countries. On average I think, we probably have ten to go to every two months. Fifteen tops. And there is one coming up." he said. "This time. It's someone that I know, but I actually really care about. The Penhallow family has been helping mine for years. They harbor information apart from being politicians in another county. I grew up with Aline and she and her fiancee is finally getting married soon. It's going to be big and this wonderful celebration and... and... I was wondering if you would like to go with me? You know. As my date."

"Like... like date date?" Magnus asked him. "Like an official date to a party date? Not even a party... a family party. One so important to you. You actually want be there? To be there? As that kind of date?"

Alec chuckled. His ramblings were so cute. He tapped his nose with one finger before smiling. "How buzzed are you?"

"I'm tipsy!" Magnus said back, trying to defend himself. "Not buzzed. Word choice makes everything better than you think."

Alec giggled. He threw himself over, laying himself down on the bed next to Magnus. He hummed, following suit and laying beside his boyfriend. "But yes. That is exactly what I mean. I want you to be my date to their wedding." Alec said, tracing a circle on his arm.

"Well um... I've never been a date to someone to a formal event like this." he said. "I think that it'll be fun. I'd love to go with you."

"Great." Alec said, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "I wouldn't want to go with anyone else."

* * *

Izzy huffed as she opened the door to Simon's apartment. For some reason, this nerd thought that he needed more than the usual two locks. She would have been fine with three. But there were six. Izzy was preparing herself to snap at him for making his front door a puzzle for her. She moved over as carefully as possible, trying not to drop the multiple plates of cheesecake that she had brought for him. "Simon? Honey?" she called, closing the door with her ankle. "I know that you don't really follow a kosher diet and my brother ordered a buttload of cheesecake. And there was so much left over I thought that I would bring some back to you."

She set down her keys and her coat, moving over towards the living room. As she walked in, she saw the look on her boyfriend's face. He was leaning down, resting his elbows against his thighs. His head was stuck inside of his hands. And she could see what looked like dried tears on his pants and on the ground. She rushed over to him, setting down the plates without care and kneeling down beside him. She could hear him trying to stop all of his incoming sobs.

"Simon? What happened, what's wrong?!" she cried. "What's the matter? What's happened?!" She looked up, seeing a figure standing in front of the hallway that led to the kitchen. Izzy stilled, moving over and pulling out her pistol from inside of her boot. "Who the fuck are-"

Simon looked up. He gripped her arm as she aimed. "Iz, no!"

The figure quickly stepped out into the light of the lamp. "Woah, woah, woah! I mean no harm! Sorry!" she cried.

"Izzy, it's fine. It's okay." Simon cried, wiping his tears and hugging her by the waist so tightly that she couldn't tackle the woman. "This... this is Maia."

Maia nodded. She gave her an awkward wave. Izzy slowly lowered her pistol. "What... what are you doing here?" she called as Simon set her down. "Who is she?"

"I'm an informant. And I'm a friend of Raphael's. I came because I have news." she said.

"Is this about him... going missing?" she asked.

"Yes." Maia said.

"Wait, you knew?" Simon asked.

"I just found out a day ago. Baby, I'm sorry." she said.

Simon shook his head. "It's fine. What do you know?"

"Raphael was looking to try and find out what exactly Valentine's plan is. Then-" Izzy started.

"Went missing." Maia finished.

"What else?" Simon asked, almost begging.

"I wish that I know. I'm sorry. All that I really know is that Raphael told me that Valentine was planning something big, no shit there, and that it would affect the cabals and this entire life in general. And so Raphael called me and he begged me to give him anything I knew. I didn't really know anything. Valentine is a private person. And not even his guards drunk would speak to me. So instead... he asked for me to try and get Valentine out of his office so he could look inside himself."

"You what?!" Izzy yelled. "So you caused this?!"

"Not entirely." Simon and Maia said in unison accidently.

"Why the hell would you do that?! Why the hell would you help him do something that dangerous?!" Izzy continued, ignoring them.

"Hey!" Simon called, standing in front of her. "I know Raphael. He's so hard headed. He will do anything to do what he needs and get what he wants. I am sure that Maia tried to stop him, but he refused." he said. "Don't blame it all on her, okay?"

Izzy growled, but crossed her arms across her chest. "Okay." she said.

Simon turned to Maia again. "Continue."

"Okay. When I got the information and the time slot that he wanted, he told me that if he didn't contact me in a certain amount of time, then he had been captured or killed. And that someone needed to know something about it all." she explained.

"Apparently he put my name down when it came to that." Simon said. "That's why she's here." Before turning to Maia to try and distract himself from this moment in time. "I'm sorry, I haven't been a pretty bad host to you. Do you want something? Some tea perhaps?" Simon asked.

Izzy rested her hand against her boyfriend's shoulder. "Babe, it's okay."

"No, no, I was going to make myself some tea anyways." Simon said. "I need to calm my nerves. Do you want some? I know that you prefer coffee, but that would keep you up all night? Then again, maybe you had some at your mom's. Nevermind that. I'll bring some for you anyways. Raspberry? Peach? Maia, what do you like? Nevermind, I'll just bring a kettle of hot water and the bags."

Simon rubbed his girlfriend's shoulder before rushing over towards the kitchen. Izzy sighed. She looked over at Maia. "Don't mind him." she said. "He talks a lot when he gets nervous or scared. He's pretty down to earth once you get to know him."

Maia hummed in acknowledgment. "I'm sorry to throw this all on your lap. But this is what I promised Raphael." she said.

"Don't worry about it. In this life, shit happens." she said, slowly sitting down on the couch and throwing her hair out of her face. "God... fuck! Why did he do this alone? Searching for Valentine's plan was already a dangerous assignment. And no one asked him to do it. Going at it alone was stupid."

"Stupid, maybe." Simon called, setting down a tray filled with different tea packets and a kettle of boiling water. "But Raphael doesn't think logically unless it is a last resort. He goes with what his heart says. And knowing him, he did this because he knew that Valentine's plan involved Magnus and he was going to do whatever it took to stop it. Even if it meant putting himself in the line of fire."

"That sounds like him." Maia said. "He really seems to care about this Magnus. He spoke about him a lot."

"Tea?" Simon offered.

"No thank you." Maia said, shaking her hands at him.

"Okay then. Izzy, Peach?" he asked

"Green babe." she said. Simon nodded, pouring the cup. "So what did Raphael find out? What is this critical information that Valentine was withholding?"

"I wish that I knew." Maia said.

"You don't know?!" Izzy called.

"How can you not know?!" Simon asked.

"Raphael just went in tonight. He didn't call me or send me anything the entire time while on this mission of his." Maia said. "All I know is that it has been a long time since he was supposed to be back. And I was supposed to contact you, Simon Lewis, and inform you."

"Okay... okay... sorry." Simon said. "I don't understand why Raphael even picked me to know this kind of stuff."

"He told me that it was because you weren't that involved, so traces wouldn't come to you." Maia explained.

"Okay... okay, okay, okay, okay." he said.

Izzy hummed, not even thinking of sipping her tea. "So what do we do?"

"First things first, your brother." Simon said, turning to Maia. "I know that he already knows, but I need to at least get involved more since I know these things and try and help as best as possible."

"Okay. I'll give him a call in the morning." she said.

"Thank you Iz. And you... thank you for telling me and letting me know."

"You're welcome." Maia said to him, picking up his phone and tapping hers on top. "That's my contact. Should anything happen, I will let you know. And if you know anything, you let me know."

"Thanks." Simon said, shaking her hand.

Izzy did the same, smiling at her. Maia pulled her beanie on and slowly moved out of the apartment. Izzy turned to her boyfriend, seeing his lip quiver again. "Oh honey." she called, hugging him.

"What if something really bad happened to him?" Simon said.

"Valentine might be ruthless. But I am sure that he knows how Raphael has been working alongside Magnus and Alec. He won't kill him." Izzy said, hugging him. "He's going to be fine. Trust me."

Simon nodded. "Okay..." he sobbed. "Okay..."

"Come, let's go take a bath and take a breather."

* * *

Magnus slowly moved towards the bed, holding a tray as carefully as he could. Slowly, he set down the tray right by Alec's still and sleeping body. Alec looked so handsome like that. Just laying down, comfortable for once since there was nothing cabal relating surrounding him. It was different from his other demeanor. But Magnus was glad that he was able to chisel his way to this Alec. He adjusted the glass of juice before moving over to the window, slowly he pulled the curtains apart. The sunlight shining through the window and onto the bed. The light shined down against Alec's eyes. He huffed, slowly sitting up. Magnus smiled, seeing him awake. He had that half-awake look in his eye and his dark circles were still pretty visible. Alec groaned, slowly moving up to rest against his elbow. "Good morning Alexander." Magnus said, slowly walking over to him.

Alec turned over. His daze was instantly gone seeing Magnus. He grinned so wide. Alec grabbed him by the arm, pulling him down to his level. He accidentally dipped him, but he caught him, holding his waist in one hand and the back of his neck in the other. A happy accidently. Alec smiled at him, winking before stealing a sweet kiss. "Good morning kitten." he said when he pulled away, helping Magnus up. "You're up pretty early. I'm usually the one that wakes you up."

"I know. But my body woke me up a little early today." Magnus answered. "I thought that I would get an early start on my day then. So I made you some breakfast."

Alec raised his eyebrow. He turned over, seeing the small spread that Magnus had made for him. He grinned even wider. His dimples beginning to show. "Thank you. You didn't have to do that."

"I wanted to. That's the difference darling." Magnus said, rubbing his thumb with his cheek. He leaned down, stealing his own kiss and making it an even deeper one. "You eat up. Your driver should be here in a couple of hours. Gives you time to shower."

Alec sat up, rubbing his eyes. "No, no, that gives _us_ the time to shower." he said, pressing a kiss against the side of his wrist.

"You eat first." Magnus said. "I'm going to go and get some honey for my tea. Isn't there anything else that you want?"

Alec looked down at his tray and shook his head. "All of this is perfect sweetheart. Thank you. I have pretty much everything."

Magnus nodded. He turned over to the door, opening it up. He turned over and jumped, seeing someone there. "Oh! Maryse." he called with a smile.

"Good morning Magnus. How are you this morning?" she asked him, pulling her sweater closer.

"Oh. I am fine." Magnus said.

Alec turned over, looking at the door. "Mom? Where have you been?"

Maryse inhaled. "Magnus, do mind giving me and Alec a moment? I need to talk with him about something."

Magnus nodded. He turned over and looked at Alec, giving him a smile before leaving the room. Alec moved off of the bed, pulling on the hoodie that he had left there on the ground. "Where have you been ma?" Alec asked. "I've texted you a hundred times. I'm pretty sure that Izzy also maxed out all of her texts for the month on you alone."

"I'm sorry. I should have at least responded to you." Maryse said to him, rubbing her fingers against her skirt.

Alec looked at her up and down. She was smiling widely. And she looked a bit... happier? "You look different." he said.

"Different?" she repeated. "Different how? How different do I look?"

"For one, you are smiling more. You rarely smile. Even around me. Second of all, you're wearing a mint green dress."

"Is wearing green a crime? I like this dress."

"Green is your least favorite color. Especially mint. Because you ate mint ice cream drunk in high school and puked it all up in the ER. That color makes you sick." 

Maryse looked down at her dress, clearing her throat. She ran her finger against the sewn-on embellishments. "Oh... right."

"What happened while you were gone?" Alec asked. "Is it something bad?"

"No, no!" she called, taking his hand in her. She walked them over to the bed and sat down. Alec looked down at her, still worried. Maryse exhaled. "Really Alexander, it's nothing. I went to see someone that I used to know."

"Is this a guy someone or a girl someone?" Alec asked.

"Does it matter?"

"Kind of does."

Maryse exhaled. "His name is Luke. He used to work for your father when he ran the cabal and even before we got married."

"And when you say that you knew him..." Alec said. "Do you mean that you were... you know, romantically involved?"

"What?! No!" she screamed. Alec tilted his head to the side and stared her down. Maryse bit her lip. "I mean... maybe?"

"It's a yes or no question mom!" he yelled, laughing at her. Maryse blushed. "So that's a yes."

"It's not a yes!" she cried back, laughing at him laughing at her.

"You're blushing! Mom, I'm not judging you! This is good. You haven't been interested in dating in a while."

"It wasn't supposed to be dating. But you know, one thing led to another."

Alec smiled. "I'm happy for you ma." he said, smiling. He wrapped an arm around her. "So, who exactly is this guy? What is he like?"

"Well, he's very nice. He treats me well, so no worries for you or Jace or Isabelle. And... he is a police chief."

"Mom, please don't tell me that you ratted me out to the police on your date." he said, chuckling and leaning back. But as he sat straight, he saw the look in his mother's eyes. "Wait, you did!?!"

"No!" she cried. "No, no, no! I went to him for advice. I wouldn't rat you out anywhere or to anyone! You're my son! What kind of mother would I be?"

Alec let out a very relaxed and grateful exhale. "Okay... so what advice could this police chief give you then? Was it about your relationship?"

"No." she said. Maryse exhaled, turning over to fully face her eldest. "Alexander, I understand that you are preparing for a gang war against the Morgensterns. And you say that it's territory and drugs, but... let's be frank. The real reason for war is all because of Magnus." she said. "You want revenge for the way he's been treated. And not only that but to protect him from whatever is happening on the other side of the state. I understand your motivations. But I do not think war is necessary to solve this conflict."

"Mom. You can't be serious. They attacked us! Our home!" Alec yelled back. He stood up in his anger. "Our guards? Injured and dead! So many innocents. Injured, addicted or dead! And for what ma? They're evil. I've dealt with them before and given them a chance. I am not going to let them get away with this! This is not just because of Magnus. Think about it. You know it's true!"

"I understand that." Maryse said. "I get it. But what will fighting them do?"

"End the cabal. Teach them a lesson."

"You think that they don't have innocents working for them as well? Like ours? I know for a fact that there are plenty of men and women in that cabal that have nothing else to do and nowhere else to turn all in order to provide for their family. Do you really want to start a gang war like that? More innocents will die than you think Alec. I understand that you are upset. I hate Valentine Morgenstern more than you think. Maybe more than you. But this war won't just be one night. It'll spring on. Many different nights with different outcomes. Do you want that? All of these people dead on the streets? Clubs? The police will be all over you!"

"I'm not asking everyone to fight!" Alec yelled, standing.

"But if they are truly loyal to you, they will! And you know that!" she yelled back, standing up. She exhaled, running a hand through her hair. "I didn't come to fight or yell." she said, lowering her voice.

Alec sighed. "Mom, what do you want me to do? What does Luke want me to do?"

"We have a plan to do this civilly. Without any sort of a fight, we have a plan for you, the Morgensterns and Asmodeus Bane." she said. "If you would just return Magnus safely-"

"What?! Are you serious?! You've already negotiated this?!" Alec yelled. "Without my approval?"

"I think that this is a good thing Alexander."

"No. It is not. Do you really think that the Morgensterns will go with his word? That he will stick with it?! You and I both know that he never does! And you want me to give up Magnus into his arms?! To hurt him?!"

"This is the only option to avoid war! Do you want to risk your own life just for him?"

"If it came down to it I would put my life on the line for Magnus!" he yelled back.

Maryse stilled, knowing what that meant. "Alec... are you-"

"Tell your little police chief that I am not doing it." he sneered, letting out a sigh. "I have to get ready for Aline's wedding."

Maryse exhaled. "Alec-"

He ignored her, moving out of the room. Maryse sighed, sitting down on the bed with her head in her hands.

* * *

Valentine walked up the steps towards the train tracks. He wipes his hands as best as he could with the dried blood on it. He hadn't brought hand sanitizer or some kind of soap with him. Now the blood would be there until he got back home to his son and daughter. He hopped back up onto the train platform and left the station, getting inside of his driver's car. He chucked through the window as the car drove far and his phone vibrated.

"Speak." he ordered.

_"Mr. Morgenstern, sir?"_

Valentine turned over, seeing one of his men walk up to him. "How can I help you?" he asked.

 _"We have a message from Mr. Lightwood."_ he said. _"It came in the form of a letter to you office."_

"And what does it say? Read it to me."

_"It says that he will not be accepting the offer for some kind of meeting."_

Valentine hummed, leaning back in his seat. He looked through the window, seeing as the clouds started to lighten like spotlights, signaling lightning. "Go on now. Thank you." he said before hanging up.

The car rushed home and Valentine rushed inside to avoid the rain. He threw his blazer aside into the bushes and his way towards the front foor. Jonathan was leaning against the door, looking down at his phone. He looked up, seeing his father. He put away his device and held out a brand new blazer jacket. "How did it go?" he asked.

"It didn't go." he answered. "Don't worry though. He will crack."

"He's a strong one. I honestly doubt that father."

"I don't. And I will bet you twenty dollars for that."

Jonathan chuckled. "So what's happened?"

"Lightwood." he said. "He has refused our deal. But don't worry. I still have a plan my son."

"And what kind of plan is that?" he asked.

"Firstly, I need for you to do something for me. I met with Lightwood the first time. It did not go well. And now it is your turn."

"Mine?"

"Yes?" Someone I know has just informed me of something. Upstate in there is a party going on. And I would like you to subtly crash it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope that you liked this chapter! Hugs and kisses my loves! I hope to see you all in the comments! 😊🥰💚


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